1905 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  STATE. 

EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT. 
(Terms  expire  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1907.) 

Bryant  B.  Brooks Governor Cheyenne 

A.  J.  Mather Private  Secretary Cheyenne 

Fenimore  Chatterton Secretary  of  State Cheyenne 

Curtis  L.  Hinkle Deputy  Secretary Cheyenne 

William  C.  Irvine State  Treasurer Cheyenne 

Fred  B.  Sheldon Deputy  State  Treasurer Cheyenne 

LeRoy  Grant State  Auditor Che>enne 

Frank  J.  Niswander Deputy  State  Auditor Cheyenne 

Thomas  T.  Tynan Supt.    Public    Instruction Cheyenne 

Lillian   Mason Deputy  Superintendent Cheyenne 

CONGRESSIONAL. 

Francis  E.  Warren,  U.  S.  Senator.  .Term  expires  Mch.  4, '07.  .  .Cheyenne 
Clarence  D.  Clark,  U.  S.  Senator.  .  .Term  expires  Mch.  4,  'n .  . .  Evanston 
Frank  W.  Mondell,  Representative. Term  expires  Mch.  4, '07...  Newcastle 

JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT. 

SUPREME  COURT,  CHEYENNE. 

Charles  N.  Potter,  Chief  Justice.  .Term  expires  first  Monday  in  Jan.,  1911 

Cyrus  Beard,  Justice Term  expires  first  Monday  in  Jan.,  191 3 

Josiah  A.  VanOrsdel,  Justice Term  expires  first  Monday  in  Jan.,  1907 

Wm.  H.  Kelly,  Clerk  Sup.  Ct Appointive.    At  pleasure  of  the  Court 

DISTRICT  JUDGES. 

Name.  District.  Term  Expires.  PostoiHce. 

Richard  H.  Scott.  . .  .  .First.  . .  .First  Monday  in  January,  '09.  .Cheyenne 
Chas.  E.  Carpenter.  .  .Second.  .First  Monday  in  January,  '09.  .  .Laramie 

David  H.  Craig Third.  .  .First  Monday  in  January,  '11.  .  .Rawlins 

Carroll  H.  Parmelee.  .Fourth.  .First  Monday  in  January,  'n.  ..  .Buffalo 

STATE   BOARD  OF   LAW   EXAMINERS. 

PostoiHce. 

John  W.  Lacey,  President '.Cheyenne 

Charles  W.  Burdick,  Secretary Cheyenne 

Charles  E.  Blydenburgh .( Rawlins 

Nellis  E.   Corthell Laramie 

Melvin  Nichols \. ....  Sundance 

STATE  BOARDS  AND  COMMISSIONS. 

STATE   BOARD   OF   LAND    COMMISSIONERS — (ARID    LAND  -BOARD). 

Bryant  B.  Brooks,  President  Fenimore  Chatterton 

Thomas  T.  Tynan 

STATE    BOARD    OF    SCHOOL    LAND    COMMISSIONERS. 

Bryant  B.  Brooks,  President  William  C.  Irvine 

Fenimore  Chatterton  Thomas  T.  Tynan 

COMMISSIONER  OF   PUBLIC  LANDS   AND   SECRETARY   OF  LAND  BOARDS. 

Robert  P.  Fuller 

STATE   BOARD  OF   EQUALIZATION. 

William  C.  Irvine,  President  LeRoy  Grant,  Secretary 

Fenimore  Chatterton 

STATE   BOARD  OF  CHARITIES   AND  REFORM. 

Bryant  B.  Brooks,  President  LeRoy  Grant 

Fenimore  Chatterton  Thomas  T.  Tynan,  Secretary 

William  C.  Irvine  Fred  B.  Sheldon,  Clerk 

INSURANCE   COMMISSIONER. 

LeRoy  Grant 

PURE   FOOD  OFFICIALS. 

Henry  G.  Knight State  Chemist Laramie 

Ross  B.  Moudy Assistant  State  Chemist Laramie 

Ed  W.  Burke Food  and  Oil  Commissioner.  . .  Cheycnr.c 


•Hi 


~t '    V 

THE  STATE 


OF 


WYOMING 


A    Book    of    Reliable    Information    Published    by    Au- 
thority of  the  Eighth  Legislature 


EDITED  AND  PUBLISHED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF 

BRYANT  B.  BROOKS, 

GOVERNOR 


1905 


SHERIDAN,  WYOMING: 

SHERIDAN  POST  COMPANY,  PRINTERS. 

1905 


pr.t 


m/f 


(gONTENTS. 


PAGE: 

AGRICULTURE:  AND  HORTICULTURE: 79 

ALBANY  COUNTY 12 

BANKS  AND  INTEREST 141 

BIG  HORN  COUNTY 14 

CARBON  COUNTY 17 

CLIMATE  AND  ITS  BENEFITS 126 

CONVERSE  COUNTY 21 

CROOK  COUNTY 23 

EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES 122 

ELEVATION  OF  CITIES  AND  MOUNTAINS 144 

FREMONT  COUNTY 25 

FRONTIER  CELEBRATION  AT  CHEYENNE 133 

How  TO  OBTAIN  A  RIGHT  TO  USE  WATER  IN  WYOMING 76 

HUNTING  AND  FISHING 130 

JOHNSON  COUNTY 27 

LARAMIE  COUNTY 29 

LIVE  STOCK 49 

MANUFACTURES 119 

MINERAL  RESOURCES 84 

NATRONA  COUNTY 35 

OIL 112 

PREFACE 5 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS 140 

PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS 54 

PUBLIC  LIBRARIES 143 

RAILROADS  AND  STAGE  ROUTES 136 

SHERIDAN  COUNTY 37 

STATE  FAIR  AT  DOUGLAS 133 

STATE  LANDS 68 

SWEETWATER  COUNTY 39 


TAYLOR  EXCHANGE  2/17 


4  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

TAXES  AND  PUBLIC  INDEBTEDNESS 141 

THE  STATE 9 

UINTA  COUNTY 41 

WESTON  COUNTY 44 

WYOMING  AT  A  GLANCE 7 

WYOMING  AT  THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  EXPOSITION 135 

WYOMING  WANTS 139 

YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK 46 


REPACK 


In  the  preparation  of  this  work  upon  the  resources  and 
possibilities  of  Wyoming,  the  editors  have  made  no  effort  at 
high-sounding  rhetoric  or  beautiful  diction,  simply  contenting 
themselves  with  presenting,  in  a  plain,  straight-forward  man- 
ner, such  facts  as  they  have  been  able  to  gather  relative  to  the 
great  agricultural  and  mineral  possibilities  of  a  state  which 
has  within  its  borders  more  undeveloped  virgin  soil  than  any 
other  state  in  the  Union. 

A  special  effort  has  been  made  to  give  succinct  informa- 
tion relative  to  the  gigantic  irrigation  projects  already  taken 
up  under  the  reclamation  service  of  the  United  States  Geolog- 
ical Survey,  the  vast  enterprises  under  the  Carey  act,  the  big 
private  irrigation  enterprises,  the  agriculture  of  the  state,  the 
live  stock  industry,  the  geology  in  detail,  and  some  of  the 
openings  for  the  investment  of  capital,  as  well  as  brief  men- 
tion of  the  political,  educational  and  social  conditions  that 
exist. 

To  gather  this  information,  it  has  been  found  necessary 
to  call  upon  many  of  our  prominent  men  for  material.  Wher- 
ever possible,  proper  credit  has  been  given.  To  all  those  who 
have  assisted  in  the  work,  thanks  are  returned.  For  other 
reward,  they  must  look  to  an  appreciative  commonwealth. 


Wyoming  at  a  Glance. 


Area,  97,890  square  miles. 

Mean  temperature,  44  degrees. 

Wool  clip  for  1905  worth  $6,000,000. 

Peerless  in  its  educational  facilities. 

Area  of  coal  land,  20,000  square  miles. 

Cattle  in  1905,  700,000,  worth  $14,000,000. 

Highest  grade  of  soft  coal  known  to  man. 

Finest  trout  fishing  known  to  mortal  man. 

Mean  elevation,  6,000  feet  above  sea  level. 

Area  covered  with  timber,  10,000,000  acres. 

Population  (estimated),  July  i,  1905,  120,000. 

Tons  of  stream  tin  have  been  mined  and  sold. 

Lofty  mountains,  rolling  plains,  vast  plateaus. 

Iron,  copper  and  coal  enough  for  a  vast  empire. 

Five  million  head  of  sheep,  valued  at  $17,500,000. 

Finest  natural  plaster  on  earth,  manufactured  at  Laramie. 

Area  subject  to  irrigation  and  cultivation,  10,000,000  acres. 

Father  of  modern  irrigation  law  and  the  reclamation  act. 

Foremost  in  the  application  of  the  Carey  desert  land  act. 

Hundreds  of  miles  of  railroad  construction  laid  out  for 
1905. 

Nutritious  grasses,  furnishing  abundance  of  feed  for  live 
stock. 

Bank  deposits  in  Wyoming,  November  10,  1904,  $8,846,- 
135-44- 

Amount  received  from  rental  of  state  lands,  1904,  $178,- 
829.48. 

Thirteen  counties,  four  judicial  districts,  four  irrigation 
districts. 

One  hundred  cars  per  day  of  iron  ore  shipped  from  Sunrise 
to  Pueblo. 

Natural  gas  in  commercial  quantities  discovered  south- 
west of  Douglas. 

Average  interest  rate  in  Wyoming,  about  8  per  cent,  in- 
dicating good  business  conditions  and  a  strong  demand  for 


8  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

money.  Gilt-edged  security,  of  course,  brings  money  at  a 
lower  rate. 

In  round  numbers,  the  life  insurance  policies  aggregate 
$5,000,000. 

Great  opportunities  for  making  money  in  sheep,  cattle 
and  horses. 

Greatest  wonderland  of  the  world,  the  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional Park. 

All  the  materials  necessary  for  the  manufacture  of  the 
finest  glass. 

Coal  mines  are  being  operated  in  all  the  counties  of  the 
state,  save  one. 

Area  subject  to  entry  under  the  land  laws  of  the  United 
States,  48,000,000. 

The  property  of  Wyoming  is  insured  against  fire  to  the 
extent  of  $7,000,000. 

Most  famous  rendezvouses  in  the  world  for  large  game; 
the  hunter's  paradise. 

Source  of  the  Columbia,  the  Missouri,  the  Colorado,  the 
Rio  Grande  and  the  Platte. 

One  million  acres  of  land  now  being  reclaimed  under  gov- 
ernment and  private  enterprises. 

Vast  iron  deposits,  second  to  no  state  in  the  Union, 
cheaply  mined  and  high  in  value. 

Finest  hot  springs  on  earth,  equal  to  Carlsbad  in  mineral 
properties,  located  at  Thermopolis  and  Saratoga. 

All  the  mountain  ranges  contain  gold  and  silver  deposits, 
awaiting  the  hand  of  the  prospector  and  the  miner. 

Resources  practically  undeveloped.  Greatest  field  on  the 
continent  for  moneyed  men  to  get  in  on  the  ground  floor. 

Sulphur,  asbestos  and  plumbago  are  among  the  minerals 
discovered  in  quantities  considered  commercially  valuable. 

Grand  opportunity  for  making  money  in  the  fattening 
of  lambs  upon  field  peas  and  alfalfa  raised  upon  Wyoming  soil. 

The  rate  of  taxation  throughout  the  state  has  decreased  in 
the  aggregate  during  the  past  ten  years  two  mills  on  the  dollar. 

Semi-anthracite  coal  has  been  discovered  in  Johnson 
County,  and  coking  coal  has  been  discovered  in  two  or  three 
localities,  notably  at  Newcastle. 

County  bonds  have  sold  as  low  as  4  per  cent ;  school 
district  bonds,  4^  per  cent,  and  municipal  bonds  at  the  same 
price,  showing  in  the  most  conclusive  manner  that  the  credit 
of  the  state  is  very  high. 


THE  STATE. 


Wyoming  enjoys  the  unique  distinction  of  having  been 
under  more  rulers  and  more  kinds  of  government  than  any 
other  state  in  the  entire  Union.  According  to  Dr.  Grace 
Raymond  Hebard's  excellent  work  on  "The  Government  of 
Wyoming,"  it  has  been  under  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  Charles 
L,  Philip  II.,  Philip  III.,  Philip  IV.,  Charles  II.,  Philip  V., 
Ferdinand  IV.,  Charles  III.,  Charles  IV.,  Ferdinand  VII.  and 
Joseph  Bonaparte  of  Spain ;  Francis  L,  Henry  II.,  Francis  II., 
Charles  IX.,  Henry  III.,  Henry  IV.,  Louis  XIII.,  Louis  XIV., 
Louis  XV.,  Louis  XVI.,  the  Republic  and  the  Consulate  of 
France,  and  Louisiana,  Missouri,  Texas,  Oregon,  Utah,  Ne- 
braska, Washington,  Dakota,  Idaho  and  Wyoming  of  Amer- 
ica. It  is  the  only  state  that  contains  lands  obtained  from  all 
four  of  our  principal  annexations  which  form  the  territory 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  state  takes  its  name  from  the  wonderful  Wyoming 
Valley,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of 
the  Indian  name  "Maughwauwame,"  meaning  large  plains. 

Wyoming  was  organized  as  a  territory  July  25,  1868,  from 
what  was  then  the  southwestern  portion  of  Dakota,  north- 
eastern part  of  Utah,  and  eastern  part  of  Idaho.  July  10, 
1890,  the  territory  was  admitted  as  a  state  by  act  of  Congress, 
being  the  forty-fourth  state  in  order  of  admission. 

Its  geographical  location  classes  it  among  the  states  of 
the  inter-mountain  or  arid  region,  being  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Montana,  on  the  east  by  Dakota  and  Nebraska,  on  the  south 
by  Colorado  and  Utah,  and  on  the  west  by  Utah,  Idaho  and 
Montana.  Its  length  from  east  to  west  is  355  miles;  width 
from  north  to  south,  276  miles.  Its  area  is  97,890  square 
miles,  or  62,645,120  acres. 

The  region  now  comprised  within  the  limits  of  the  state 
was  traversed  by  Canadian  explorers  and  other  venturesome 
persons  at  an  early  date,  but  the  first  white  settlement  appears 
to  have  been  established  at  Fort  Laramie,  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state,  in  the  year   1834.     Subsequently  trading  post 
were  established  in  other  localities,  and  still  later  the  building 
of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  and  the  adaptation  of  the  west 
ern  country  to  the  cattle  business  led  to  further  settlement. 

In  general  appearance  the  country  is  mountainous,  wit 
valleys,  rolling  plains  and  plateaus,  the  latter  covered  wit 
grasses  of  great  nutrition  and  furnishing  admirable  past 


io  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

live  stock,  while  the  mean  elevation  is  6,000  feet  above  sea 
level,  with  extremes  ranging  from  3,000  to  14,000  feet.  Prob- 
ably 10,000,000  acres  of  the  total  area  of  the  state  are  covered 
with  timber. 

Flowing  east  or  west,  according  as  their  source  is  on  the 
eastern  or  western  slope  of  the  main  range  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  which  cross  the  state  from  north  to  south,  are 
numerous  streams,  among  the  number  being  the  North  Platte, 
Snake  River,  Green  River,  the  Big  Horn,  the  Shoshone,  the 
Laramie  and  the  Yellowstone.  None  of  these  streams  are 
navigable  in  a  commercial  sense,  but  they  furnish  water  for 
the  irrigation  and  development  of  the  surrounding  country, 
and  in  some  instances  are  used  for  the  transportation  of 
timber. 

The  soil  is  a  light,  sandy  loam;  dark  and  rich  in  the 
valleys.  When  reclaimed  by  the  application  of  water,  bounti- 
ful returns  of  agricultural  products,  with  the  exception  of  such 
as  thrive  only  at  low  altitude  and  in  warm,  damp  climates,  are 
secured.  It  is  estimated  that  10,000,000  acres  of  the  area  of 
the  state  are  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes  by  irrigation. 

There  are  thirteen  counties,  four  judicial  districts,  four 
irrigation  divisions  and  many  school  districts.  The  capital 
is  located  at  Cheyenne,  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  state. 

The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  the  mountain  region  of 
Italy,  and  is  not,  as  sometimes  erroneously  supposed,  extraor- 
dinarily severe  in  the  winter.  The  average  mean  temperature 
for  the  year  is  about  44  degrees,  varying  somewhat  according 
to  elevation,  and  the  atmosphere  is  rarefied  and  pure,  with  but 
few  cloudy  days.  Winds  sometimes  prevail  during  the  spring 
and  fall,  but  cyclones  and  tornadoes  are  unknown,  while  the 
dryness  of  the  atmosphere  tends  to  ameliorate  the  effects  of 
extreme  cold.  Snow  storms  are  usually  followed  by  chinook 
winds,  which  serve  to  uncover  the  pastures,  so  that  live  stock 
get  the  benefit  of  the  grasses  cured  by  the  summer  sun,  and 
as  the  cured  native  grasses  retain  their  nutrition,  it  enables 
the  stockman  to  support  his  stock  upon  the  open  range  with 
little,  and  in  the  case  of  sheep  raising,  no  additional  food. 
Western  blizzards  have  been  largely  exaggerated,  and  some 
people  consider  the  mountain  climate  synonymous  with  con- 
stant storms,  dangerous  to  life.  Nothing  could  be  farther 
from  the  truth.  But  few  climates  are  more  bracing,  healthful 
0r  pleasant  than  the  climate  of  the  mountain  region  of  the 
western  states.  The  almost  constant  sunlight  is  not  only 
pleasant,  but  beneficial  from  a  sanitary  standpoint,  and  it  is 
a  well  recognized  fact  in  the  medical  profession  that  certain 
diseases,  notably  pulmonary  affections,  are  much  benefited 


THE  STATE.  n 

by  change  from  the  states  of  lower  altitudes  to  Wyoming  or 
adjacent  states.  (See  article  on  Climate.) 

Gold,  copper  and  coal  mining,  petroleum  production  and 
raising  live  stock  are  the  most  important  business  interests  of 
the  state.  (See  articles  on  these  resources.)  As  will  be  no- 
ticed elsewhere  in  this  publication,  the  supply  of  coal  under- 
lying the  state  is  apparently  inexhaustible,  and  constant 
employment  is  furnished  to  a  great  many  miners. 

The  raising  of  live  stock  in  its  departments,  however, 
probably  now  claims  the  attention  of  more  people  than  any 
other  industry,  and  the  facilities  for  prosecuting  that  business 
are  such  as  to  commend  it  to  the  attention  of  prospective  set- 
tlers. It  is  a  noticeable  feature  of  the  present  condition  of  the 
state  that  many  of  the  former  large  herds  of  cattle  have,  in 
recent  years,  been  reduced,  without,  however,  materially  re- 
ducing the  total  number  of  cattle  in  the  state,  while  the  num- 
ber of  small  herds  owned  by  ranchmen  and  farmers  has  largely 
increased,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  state  can  show  an 
agricultural  population  whose  financial  condition  averages 
better  than  that  of  Wyoming's  ranchmen.  Many  are  here  to 
testify  to  the  benefits  and  profits  derived  by  them  from  the 
use  of  the  free  pasture  lands  of  the  open  range,  with  its  nutri- 
tious native  grasses,  the  opportunities  of  acquiring  government 
land,  cheap  fuel  and  healthy  climate,  and  the  large  area  of  the 
state  in  proportion  to  the  present  population  is  sufficient  evi- 
dence that  opportunities  by  which  others  have  heretofore 
profited  are  still  offered  to  the  prospective  settler. 

The  state  is  destined  in  the  very  near  future  to  become  the 
richest,  in  its  diversified  natural  resources,  of  any  in  the  Union. 
The  minerals  listed  in  another  part  of  this  pamphlet  are  here  in 
quantity.  There  are  vast  coal  fields  as  yet  unopened  and  sub- 
ject to  entry  under  the  United  States  statutes.  There  is  an 
enormous  area  of  oil  land,  most  of  which  is  still  open  for  loca- 
tion. There  are  mountains  of  iron  ore ;  there  is  probably  more 
copper  than  in  any  other  state — veins  from  four  to  twenty-five 
feet  wide,  running  from  15  per  cent  to  70  per  cent — and  many 
rich  gold  bearing  lodes. 

Hot  springs  abound,  which  not  only  equal  but  surpass  the 
famous  Carlsbad  Springs  of  Europe.  The  analysis  of  the 
waters  and  the  results  of  their  use  have  demonstrated  this 
to  be  true. 

The  only  thing  necessary  to  make  the  state  all  and  more 
than  is  claimed  for  it  in  this  pamphlet  is  more  transportation 
facilities — railroads  operated  in  the  interest  of  local  develop- 
ment and  not  solely  for  trans-continental  traffic — more  capital 
invested  on  a  business  basis,  and  more  men  of  brains,  push 
and  honest  purpose.  To  such  fortune  stands  upon  the  Con- 


12 


THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


tinental  Divide,  with  winning  smile  and  outstretched  arms ;  to 
such  Wyoming  extends  a  hearty  greeting  and  a  co-operative 
hand. 


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Albany  

13,084 

2,558 

5.115 

2  386 

12,214 

2,676 

13,687 

Big  Horn     

4,328 

1,368 

3.163 

1,789 

5,687 

2,860 

9,046 

Carbon  

9,589 

3*038 

3  167 

3  027 

9,586 

3,400 

10,767 

Converse  

3,337 

1,228 

2.717 

1^289 

3,492 

1,570 

4,265 

Crook  

3,137 

1,271 

2.590 

1,350 

3,496 

1,581 

4,094 

Fremont  

5,357 

1,538 

3.505 

1,536 

5,383 

1,700 

5,958 

Johnson  

2,361 

937 

2.519 

1  050 

2,644 

1,247 

3,141 

Laramie  

20,181 

3,821 

5.281 

3,643 

19,238 

4,644 

24,525 

Natrona  

1,785 

812 

2.198 

1,006 

2,211 

1,120 

2,462 

Sheridan   .    

5,122 

2,095 

2.444 

2,145 

5,242 

3,286 

8,031 

Sweetwater  .     .. 

8,455 

1,948 

4.340 

2,020 

8,767 

2,184 

9,478 

Uinta  

12,223 

3,832 

3.189 

4,031 

12,855 

4,543 

14,488 

Weston  

3,203 

923 

3.470 

857 

2,973 

1,086 

3,768 

*92,162 

25,459 

26,138 

93,788 

31,897 

113,710 

*Not  including  Yellowstone  Park. 


Albany  County 


Albany  County  was  named  by  a  representative  from  the 
then  unnamed  county  to  the  Dakota  Legislature,  who,  being 
a  former  resident  of  Albany,  New  York,  named  the  new  county 
Albany.  It  has  an  area  of  3,248,640  acres;  of  this,  1,077,754 
acres  are  listed  for  taxation.  Total  valuation  of  county, 
$4,360,099.86;  total  tax  levy,  including  state  levy,  20  mills; 
bonded  indebtedness,  $112,000;  mean  elevation,  6,500  feet. 

Agriculture. — Twenty-five  years  ago  those  who  suggested 
that  agricultural  products  might  be  raised  with  profit  in 
Albany  County  were  ridiculed.  Today  hundreds  of  citizens 
are  not  only  making  a  living,  but  are  reaping  large  profits. 
The  soil  of  the  Laramie  plains  is  suitable  and  the  season  at  an 
elevation  of  7,000  feet  is  sufficiently  long  for  all  kinds  of  small 
grain,  alfalfa  (two  crops),  nearly  all  the  vegetables,  sugar 
beets,  etc.  A  ready  market  is  found  for  all  kinds  of  farm  pro- 
duce at  prices  far  in  advance  of  those  prevailing  in  Kansas 
and  Nebraska. 

Recent  experiments  on  a  somewhat  extended  scale  have 
proved  the  value  of  the  field  pea,  and  quite  an  acreage  is  being 
planted  during  the  current  season  (1905).  This  crop  is  used 


ALBANY  COUNTY.  13 

in  the  fattening  of  lambs,  for  which  purpose  it  takes  the  place 
of  both  corn  and  alfalfa  and  is  much  cheaper. 

Stock  Raising  is  still  the  principal  industry,  more  than 
$2,000,000  being  invested  in  domestic  animals.  The  days  of 
the  large  outfits  have  passed,  but  the  business  has  not  declined 
in  consequence  and  is  far  more  profitable.  Under  existing 
conditions,  the  ranchmen  of  Albany  County  keep  just  the 
number  of  animals  that  can  be  well  cared  for  in  the  winter 
time,  making  it  a  universal  rule  to  provide  sufficient  hay  to 
carry  them  through  in  good  condition.  A  constant  evolution 
from  the  large  to  the  small  ranch  is  in  progress,  and  in  the 
near  future  all  the  large  holdings  will  doubtless  be  divided 
into  small,  well  equipped  farms  and  ranches.  Land  owners 
are  rapidly  learning  that  it  is  more  profitable  to  bring  their 
lands  under  cultivation  than  to  hold  them  solely  for  range 
purposes. 

The  City  of  Laramie  is  the  county  seat  and  principal  town. 
Its  population,  census  of  1900,  is  8,207.  Here  is  located  the 
University  of  Wyoming;  the  public  school  system  is  of  the 
very  best.  Among  the  manufacturing  cities  of  the  state,  Lar- 
amie takes  first  place.  Just  to  the  south  of  the  city,  and  within 
its  limits,  is  located  the  factory  of  the  Acme  Cement  Company. 
It  owns  about  1,000  acres  of  plaster  land,  which  has  a  deposit 
of  natural  plaster  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  thickness.  It  is  put 
through  a  calcining  process  and  becomes  the  finest  of  building 
material.  It  is  used  throughout  the  west,  the  output  of  the 
plant  being  from  six  to  ten  car  loads  per  day.  Another  plaster 
mill,  belonging  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  Plaster  Company,  is 
located  nine  miles  south,  at  Red  Buttes  station.  Its  product 
is  made  from  gypsum,  and  it  is  what  is  known  as  a  hard-rock 
mill.  Very  fine  plaster  of  paris  and  four  other  grades  of  plaster 
are  manufactured  here.  The  two  plaster  concerns  employ 
about  fifty  men. 

At  Laramie  the  Union  Pacific  operates  large  shops  and  a 
tie-preserving  plant.  The  ties  are  brought  here  from  the  moun- 
tains and  undergo  a  pickling  process  which  prolongs  their  life 
perhaps  two  and  one-half  times.  In  the  shops  and  at  the  tie 
plant  150  men  are  employed.  It  is  a  freight  division  on  the 
Union  Pacific,  and  many  railroad  men  have  their  homes  estab- 
lished at  this  point. 

Lumber  is  manufactured  in  the  adjacent  mountains,  and 
an  excellent  quality  of  brick  is  made  in  the  city.  A  pressed 
brick  plant  is  in  operation.  Building  material  and  labor  are 
more  reasonable  than  in  most  western  cities,  hence  buildings 
for  homes  and  business  purposes  can  be  constructed  at  fair 
rates. 


14  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

A  large  quantity  of  limestone  is  shipped  to  the  beet  sugar 
plants  and  smelters  of  Colorado  from  quarries  just  to  the  east 
of  Laramie.  The  Union  Pacific  has  constructed  a  spur  to  these 
quarries.  This  limestone  is  the  purest  discovered  in  the  United 
States  and  is  practically  inexhaustible.  It  was  used  some  years 
ago  in  the  manufacture  of  glass.  All  the  other  ingredients  for 
the  manufacture  of  glass  of  a  superior  quality  are  found  at  Lar- 
amie, and  it  is  within  the  realm  of  reason  to  predict  that  this 
industry  will  soon  be  in  a  flourishing  condition  at  this  point. 
Enough  has  been  done  to  demonstrate  its  feasibility. 

The  State  Fish  Hatchery  is  located  five  miles  southeast 
of  Laramie.  At  this  institution  more  than  a  million  small  fry 
are  hatched  annually  and  distributed  among  the  streams  of 
the  state.  With  two  exceptions,  the  streams  of  Albany  County 
were  naturally  without  trout,  hence  the  State  Hatchery  has 
been  of  untold  value  to  the  local  angler,  as  well  as  to  those 
who  enjoy  the  delicacy  of  trout  upon  their  tables.  No  better 
trout  fishing  is  enjoyed  by  the  people  of  any  section  than  is 
had  by  the  people  of  Albany  County. 

Fruit  Growing. — Many  of  the  residents  of  Albany  County 
are  successfully  raising  small  fruit,  such  as  raspberries,  cur- 
rants, gooseberries,  strawberries,  etc.,  and  some  attempts  have 
been  made  at  raising  apples  and  other  large  fruits.  One  ranch- 
man, Mr.  Jacob  Lund,  has  for  several  years  raised  a  quantity 
of  Wealthy  apples  at  his  ranch  near  Jelm,  elevation  7,400  feet. 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  fruit  in  almost  endless 
variety  cannot  be  raised  in  portions  of  Albany  County ;  in  fact, 
results  already  attained  prove  that  it  may  be  done. 

Mining. — See  Mineral  Resources,  this  pamphlet. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  said  that  Albany  County  holds 
out  to  the  man  of  small  fortune  much  that  is  alluring.  Here 
is  an  opportunity  to  make  a  comfortable  home  in  a  country 
that  is  prosperous  and  in  a  climate  that  is  unsurpassed  in  all 
that  pertains  to  the  health  of  mankind. 

Albany  County  is  in  the  Cheyenne  United'  States  land 
office  district. 


Big  Horn  County 


Big  Horn  County  was  named  from  the  Big  Horn  or 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  which  abound  in  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains, on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin.  The  county  was 
organized  in  1896.  Bonded  indebtedness  is  $34,000 ;  tax  levy, 
18^/2  mills;  total  assessed  valuation,  $3,005,256;  average  ele- 
vation of  agricultural  portion,  4,000  feet. 


BIG  HORN  COUNTY.  15 

It  was  the  last  organized  county  of  the  state,  and  consists 
of  that  portion  of  the  northwestern  corner  known  as  the  Big 
Horn  Basin.  This  is,  in  many  respects,  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable basins  situated  on  either  side  of  the  great  Conti- 
nental Divide.  This  is  true,  whether  we  consider  its  great 
area,  the  lofty  mountains  enclosing  it  on  all  sides  except  the 
north,  its  equable  climate  or  the  fertility  of  its  soils.  On  the 
east  looms  up  the  Big  Horn  Range,  some  of  its  peaks  rising 
12,000  feet  above  sea  level;  on  the  west  tower  the  equally 
high  peaks  of  the  Shoshone  Range,  spurs  of  the  great  Con- 
tinental Divide;  on  the  south  is  the  Owl  Range,  a  spur  of 
the  Continental  Divide  connecting  it  with  the  southern  end 
of  the  Big  Horn  Range.  The  usual  elevation  of  the  divides 
connecting  these  peaks  is  from  9,000  to  10,000  feet  above 
the  sea  level.  Among  these  mountains  are  found  some  of 
the  finest  examples  of  mountain  and  canon  scenery  to  be 
found  on  this  continent. 

Passing  centrally  through  this  basin  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion, its  meanderings  covering  more  than  one  hundred  miles, 
is  the  Big  Horn  River.  Its  entrance  into  the  basin  has  been 
made  in  some  past  convulsion  of  nature,  through  the  Owl 
Range,  by  an  impassable  canon  of  about  four  miles  in  length. 
Its  exit  from  the  basin  to  the  north  has  been  made  by  cutting 
through  the  northerly  end  of  the  Big  Horn  Range  by  a  very 
remarkable  canon  of  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  its  walls 
rising  almost  vertically  1,200  to  1,500  feet  above  the  water. 
Intermediate  between  these  canons  this  river  passes  through 
Sheep  Mountain,  a  secondary  and  detached  range,  by  a  canon 
of  about  three  miles  length,  but  equally  as  interesting  as  the 
other  two.  The  Big  Horn  Range,  west  of  its  lower  canon, 
is  designated  Pryor  Mountain,  which  gradually  recedes  in 
height  until  it  drops  to  the  level  of  the  plain  bordering 
Clark's  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone.  Around  the  base  of  this 
mountain  is  the  natural  outlet  from  the  Big  Horn  Basin. 

Agriculture  and  Stock  Raising. — It  is  within  bounds  to 
assert  that  every  square  mile  of  the  area  of  this  county,  ex- 
cept a-  small  percentage  forming  the  slopes  of  the  high  moun- 
tain peaks,  can  be  utilized  in  summer  .or  winter  for  agriculture 
or  the  grazing  of  stock,  as  proven  by  the  experience  of  ten 
years  with  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  The  high  mountain 
plateaus,  with  their  intervening  valleys,  up  to  an  elevation  of 
10,500  feet,  in  summer  and  until  covered  with  snow  in  the  fall, 
produce  grass  of  sufficient  fattening  properties  for  summer 
feed.  At  elevations  of  from  7,500  to  10,500  feet  all  stock  keep 
fat  for  four  months  of -the  year.  : 

Agriculture.— The  greater  part 'of  the  irrigable  lands  have 
an  altitude  varying' 'from  3,460  feet  to  4,400  feet.  Oats  yield 


16  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

from  forty  to  eighty  bushels  per  acre,  wheat  thirty  to  sixty, 
rye  twenty-five  to  fifty-five,  barley  forty  to  sixty,  corn  thirty 
to  fifty,  and  is  as  sure  a  crop  as  in  Iowa ;  alfalfa  three  to  seven 
tons,  other  grasses  two  to  four  tons  per  acre. 

In  this  county  the  state,  under  the  Carey  Arid  Land  Act, 
has  segregated  400,000  acres  of  land,  which  will  shortly  be 
placed  under  irrigating  ditches,  and  which  will  provide  homes 
for  thousands  of  people.  (See  article.) 

There  is  no  better  location  in  the  west  than  this  section 
for  a  beet  sugar  factory. 

Within  the  belt  lying  between  5,500  and  6,500  feet  eleva- 
tion timothy  and  redtop  do  exceptionally  well ;  alfalfa  pro- 
duces two  cuttings.  Below  this  belt,  with  ordinary  good  man- 
agement, alfalfa  will  yield  three  good  cuttings.  Its  seed  comes 
to  full  maturity  and  is  of  good  quality.  It  is  believed  that  in 
no  locality  of  the  world  are  small  grains  of  superior  quality  or 
in  larger  yield  per  acre.  All  the  roots,  such  as  potatoes,  car- 
rots, rutabagas  and  beets  of  all  kinds,  thrive  excellently  well 
up  to  6,500  feet  elevation.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  beets  and 
rutabagas,  where  well  cultivated,  to  attain  weights  of  ten  to 
fifteen  pounds,  and  solid  to  the  core.  Of  melons,  the  cantaleup 
matures  of  excellent  quality ;  so  does  the  watermelon,  though 
to  less  extent.  The  potato  is  a  large  yielder,  and  of  quality 
unsurpassed  anywhere.  Such  garden  vegetables  as  radishes, 
lettuce,  cauliflower,  beans  and  peas  do  well  at  all  altitudes. 
Radishes,  lettuce  and  cauliflower  come  to  perfection  above 
5,500  feet  altitude  and  are  of  unsurpassed  quality  and  flavor. 

Horticulture. — All  the  small  fruits,  such  as  raspberries, 
currants,  strawberries  and  gooseberries,  grow  wild,  and  tame 
varieties  do  well.  Apple  and  peach  trees  of  two  years'  growth 
promise  success. 

Irrigation. — In  addition  to  the  large  volume  of  water  de- 
livered by  the  Big  Horn  River,  running  centrally  through  the 
county,  its  large  and  numerous  tributaries  furnish  a  super- 
abundance of  water  for  irrigating  large  bodies  of  land  that  can 
be  gotten  under  ditch.  From  the  east  flow  Kirby,  No  Wood 
and  Shell  Creeks;  from  the  west  comes  Owl  Creek  and  its 
much  larger  tributaries  of  Grey  Bull  and  Wood  River;  then 
the  two  forks  of  the  Shoshone  River,  and  still  farther  to  the 
north  the  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone. 

More  extended  reference  to  minerals,  agriculture,  stock 
raising,  climate,  hot  springs,  etc.,  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
the  articles  upon  Geology,  Agriculture,  Climate  and  Health, 
and  Stock  Raising. 

In  this  county  are  situated  the  cities  of  Cody,  Meeteetse, 
Garland,  Basin,  Byron,  Cowley,  Lovell,  Burlington,  Germania, 
Otto  and  Bonanza.  At  Bonanza  there  has  recently  been  dis- 


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CARBON  COUNTY.  17 

covered  lubricating  and  illuminating  oil,  and  it  promises  to 
develop  into  a  very  rich  oil  district.  There  are  business  op- 
portunities in  all  of  these  towns. 

From  Cody  tally-ho  stages  run  to  Mammoth  Hot  Springs, 
in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
through  scenery  which  is  not  equaled  in  the  Alps.  (See  article, 
this  pamphlet,  entitled  "Yellowstone  National  Park/') 

Big  Horn  Hot  Springs. — These  springs  were  ceded  to  the 
state  in  1897,  together  with  ten  miles  square  of  land  from  the 
Shoshone  Indian  Reservation,  and  are  located  on  the  Big  Horn 
River,  just  opposite  Thermopolis,  about  fifty-four  miles  in  a 
northerly  direction  from  the  center  of  the  state.  The  main 
spring  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  about  500  feet  back  from 
the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  comes  to  the  surface  at  the  foot  of 
Monument  Hill,  which  rises  about  250  feet  above  the  spring. 
The  surface  of  the  spring  is  about  forty-five  feet  above  the 
river.  The  stream  running  from  the  spring  to  the  river  is 
about  seven  feet  wide  and  two  and  seven-tenths  feet  deep,  and 
carries  about  18,600,000  gallons  of  water  every  twenty-four 
hours.  The  temperature  of  the  spring  is  135°  F.  The  spring 
is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  a  slightly  sloping  plateau,  which 
contains  about  ten  acres  of  land,  which  is  covered  by  a  heavy 
coating  of  alkaline  salts  and  sodium,  which  have  been  depos- 
ited by  the  hot  mineral  waters  spreading  over  the  surface. 
This  coating  is  from  ten  to  forty  feet  thick,  and  is  naturally  of 
a  pure  white  color.  There  are  many  terraces  on  the  edge  of 
the  formation,  making  a  very  picturesque  appearance.  There 
are  many  traces  of  volcanic  action  to  be  seen  surrounding;  the 
springs  and  formation  on  the  east,  north  and  west  sides. 
These  springs  equal,  in  every  respect,  the  famous  European 
springs  of  Carlsbad  and  Aix-la-Chapelle,  or  the  Arkansas 
springs,  and  are  equal  in  curative  properties  to  the  Saratoga 
Hot  Springs. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Lander, 
except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county, 
which  are  in  the  Buffalo  land  office  district. 


Carbon  County 


Carbon  County  was  organized  in  1870  and  was  named 
from  the  immense  coal  deposits  which  underlie  the  county.  It 
has  an  area  of  11,061  square  miles,  is  noted  for  its  vast  herds 
of  sheep,  its  fine  cattle  and,  above  all,  its  rich  coal  and  mineral 
deposits.  It  is  the  richest  county  in  mineral  resources  and 


i8  THK  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

stands  second  to  none  in  its  stock  raising.  The  total  number 
of  acres  listed  for  taxation  is  1,218,353,  and  the  valuation  of  all 
real  estate  in  the  county,  including  town  lots,  is  $2,409,217.50; 
bonded  indebtedness,  $129,200;  tax  levy,  18  mills;  the  total 
value  of  assessable  property  in  the  county,  $5,569,094.33. 

Rawlins  is  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and  is  the  county 
seat  of  Carbon  County.  Altitude,  about  7,000  feet.  It  has  a 
population  of  about  2,500;  has  roundhouses  and  extensive 
machine  shops.  It  is  a  distributing  point  for  an  outlying  coun- 
try, both  north  and  south  of  the  railroad.  Daily  and  tri-weekly 
stages  leave  here  for  points  north  and  south.  The  new  State 
Penitentiary,  costing  $100,000,  is  located  here,  and  also  a  sub- 
stantial stone  court  house  and  a  fine  public  school  building, 
which  cost,  respectively,  $50,000  and  $35,000.  Here  are  located 
and  operated  fine  building  stone  quarries,  the  Rawlins  sand- 
stone being  shipped  out  of  the  state  both  east  and  west.  The 
beautiful  new  government  building  at  Cheyenne  was  built  of 
this  stone,  as  was  the  State  Capitol.  Here  also  are  located  the 
great  mineral  red  paint  mines  (known  as  Rawlins  Red),  from 
which  the  paint  for  the  Brooklyn  bridge  was  originally  pro- 
cured. This  ore  is  shipped  to  Denver  and  much  used  by  the 
smelters  as  a  flux.  The  city  is  also  the  supply  point  for  and 
the  headquarters  of  a  vast  sheep  and  wool  industry. 

Saratoga,  a  beautiful  town  of  1,000  inhabitants,  is  situated 
twenty-three  miles  south  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  in  the 
heart  of  the  great  Platte  Valley,  and  is  the  gateway  to  the 
renowned  Grand  Encampment  mining  district,  and  is  noted 
for  its  medicinal  hot  springs.  The  temperature  of  the  water  is 
135°  Fahrenheit.  From  their  chemical  analysis,  we  would  say 
that  these  springs  were  alkaline-sulphur,  in  combination  with 
salines  and  calcareous  salts.  They  closely  resemble  in  their 
different  properties  the  famous  European  springs  of  Carlsbad, 
Marienbad,  Ems,  Teplitz  and  Aix-la-Chapelle. 

Their  properties  may  be  summed  up  as  stimulating,  ab- 
sorptive, alterative  and  reconstructive,  and  clinical  results  have 
proven  all  the  claims  made  for  them  by  their  chemical  analysis. 
It  is  difficult  to  state  what  diseases  are  most  benefited  by  a 
course  of  baths  at  these  thermal  waters.  Among  the  list  of 
those  maladies  which  have  been  relieved  at  the  springs  may 
be  mentioned  all  as  acute,  sub-acute  and  chronic  diseases  of 
all  mucus  membranes,  such  as  catarrh  of  the  nasal  passages, 
the  mouth  and  pharynx,  the  throat,  bronchial  tubes,  the  stom- 
ach and  the  whole  alimentary  canal ;  dyspepsia,  due  to  hyper- 
acidity of  the  stomach  and  gastric  ulcers;  congestion  of  the 
liver,  due  to  catarrh  of  the  bile  ducts  and  a  sluggish  portal 
circulation,  and  beginning  cirrhosis,  acute  and  chronic  catarrh 
of  the  whole  genito-urinary  tract.  The  water  acts  not  only  by 


CARBON  COUNTY.  19 

its  chemical  ingredients  in  these  instances,  but  also  mechan- 
ically as  a  sluice  upon  the  system.  It  is  well,  therefore,  for 
patients  to  drink  it  liberally.  The  water  has  undoubted  bene- 
ficial influence  upon  gravel,  lithiasis  and  the  uric  acid  diathesis. 
Sanitary  analyses  have  been  made  showing  that  this  water  is 
entirely  free  from  every  kind  of  contamination. 

These  waters  when  bottled  are  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the 
United  States  for  drinking  purposes,  for  they  are  not  only  pure 
and  as  pleasant  as  the  Manitou  or  Idaho  waters,  but  have  the 
advantage  also  of  the  medicinal  qualities  so  beneficial  to  the 
stomach  and  kidneys. 

The  North  Platte  River,  in  which  are  three  wooded  islands, 
-runs  through  the  city.  It  is  an  ideal  place  for  a  summer  resort 
and  sanitarium.  The  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  on  the  west 
and  south,  and  the  Medicine  Bow  Range  on  the  east,  are  each 
within  two  or  three  hours'  drive,  and  present  a  beautiful  view 
at  all  times.  The  trout  fishing  in  the  river  and  the  mountain 
streams  is  unsurpassed.  The  summers  are  delightfully  cool, 
there  being  no  night  when  a  blanket  is  not  needed.  With  the 
completion  of  the  Union  Pacific's  proposed  connection,  thou- 
sands who  are  in  search  of  pleasure,  health  and  business  will 
yearly  be  attracted  to  this  section.  There  is  an  old  saying,  "See 
Rome  and  die,"  but  the  legend  of  the  west  is,  "See  Saratoga 
and  live." 

By  reason  of  the  destruction  of  the  Hot  Springs  Hotel  and 
bath  house  .by  fire,  a  new  large,  modern  hotel  and  bath  facil- 
ities are  needed.  This  presents  one  of  the  best  opportunities 
for  investment  in  the  west. 

Encampment  is  a  town  of  recent  origin,  brought  forth  by 
the  prospects  of  the  new  gold  and  copper  mines  opened  in  the 
Grand  Encampment  district,  and  has  a  population  of  about 
1,000.  It  has  a  smelter,  concentrating  works  and  tramway  to 
the  top  of  the  Rockies  for  conducting  the  ore.  It  is  situated  on 
the  Grand  Encampment  River,  twenty  miles  south  of  Saratoga. 
(See  article  on  Mineral  Resources.) 

Schools. — The  county  has  a  good  public  school  system. 
The  number  of  schools  is  thirty-nine  and  the  number  of  chil- 
dren of  school  age  is  1,500. 

Live  Stock. — One  of  the  chief  industries  of  the  county  is 
its  live  stock  interests.  Of  sheep  there  were,  for  the  year  1904, 
489,069,  valued  at  $917,773;  of  cattle,  27,953,:  valued  at  $488,- 
546;  of  horses  and  mules,  6,277,  valued  at  $163,114. 

Agriculture. — This  industry  has  for  many  years  been  an 
important  one,  continually  on  the  increase,  and  has  assumed 
large  proportions  in  the  Upper  Platte  Valley  country  and  on 
the  tributaries  of  the  North  Platte  River.  Wheat,  oats  and 


2o  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

barley  are  raised  in  large  quantities  and  command  a  ready  price 
for  home  consumption.  The  wheat  is  a  very  fine,  plump  grain, 
making  the  very  best  of  flour.  The  oats  are  of  a  superior 
quality,  and  run  from  forty-five  to  fifty  pounds  to  the  bushel. 
All  of  these  crops  yield  abundantly.  Hay  is  an  important  crop, 
and  the  yield  per  acre  is  always  satisfactory.  Timothy  and 
redtop  grow  luxuriantly,  but  the  native  hay,  of  which  there  is 
a  large  quantity  raised,  is  much  in  favor.  Alfalfa  or  lucerne  is 
a  prime  favorite,  and  there  is  a  large  acreage  devoted  to  the 
production  of  that  crop.  It  yields  from  three  to  four  tons  per 
acre,  each  year,  of  a  very  superior  quality,  much  esteemed  by 
the  stockmen  for  its  fat-producing  qualities.  All  kinds  of  veg- 
etables and  small  fruits  grow  abundantly,  and  the  entire  home 
market  is  supplied  by  home  production.  All  farming  is  by 
irrigation.  There  are  still  many  thousand  acres  of  upland,  on 
either  side  of  the  Platte  River,  that  are  open  to  settlement,  and 
this  stream  furnishes  water  for  an  almost  unlimited  acreage. 
The  feeding  of  cattle  and  sheep  for  spring  market  is  largely 
engaged  in  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  county,  who  annually 
ship  large  numbers  of  sheep  and  fat  beeves  to  eastern  markets, 
commanding  the  highest  market  prices. 

Mining. — See  article  on  Mining  Resources. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  Carbon  County  is  beautiful,  brac- 
ing and  invigorating,  mild  and  pleasant  during  the  summer 
months  and  not  severely  cold  or  uncomfortable  in  the  winter. 
It  is  peculiarly  suited  to  the  building  up  of  weak  lungs,  and  is 
conducive  to  health  and  longevity. 

Water  and  Timber. — Carbon  County  is  well  watered  by 
mountain  streams,  the  North  Platte  River  flowing  the  entire 
length  of  the  county  from  south  to  north.  Nearly  every  por- 
tion is  abundantly  supplied  with  water  for  irrigation  purposes. 
The  numerous  mountain  ranges  in  the  county  are  covered  with 
an  excellent  quality  of  pine  timber  suitable  for  building  pur- 
poses and  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  as  well  as  for  fuel. 

Game  and  Fish. — Carbon  County  streams,  while  originally 
barren  of  trout,  have  been  well  stocked  with  every  variety  of 
that  kind  of  fish,  and  are  today  the  finest  trout  streams  to  be 
found  anywhere.  Trout  weighing  from  ten  to  twelve  pounds 
are  frequently  taken  from  the  North  Platte  River,  and  every 
stream  swarms  with  the  finny  tribe.  Game  of  all  kinds,  in- 
cluding bear,  elk  and  deer,  are  to  be  found  in  the  mountain 
ranges  and  timber;  sage  hens  and  grouse  inhabit  the  plains 
and  mountains,  and  the  streams  and  lakes  are  well  supplied 
with  ducks  and  geese. 

This  county  is  in  the  Cheyenne  United  States  land  office 
district. 


CONVERSE  COUNTY.  21 


Converse  County 


This  county  was  organized  in  1888  and  named  after  A.  R. 
Converse,  a  pioneer  cattleman,  who  had  large  interests  in  that 
section.  It  has  a  population  of  3,337  and  an  area  of  7,000 
square  miles.  The  North  Platte  River,  with  its  many  tribu- 
taries, flows  through  the  central  portion  of  the  county,  afford- 
ing a  bountiful  water  supply  for  thousands  of  acres  of  land 
which  have  been  brought  under  cultivation,  and  its  wide  plains 
are  among  the  best  pasture  lands  of  the  state.  The  Chicago 
and  Northwestern  branch  railroad  traverses  its  entire  length 
from  east  to  west,  and  the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad 
gives  an  outlet  to  the  south.  The  total  assessed  valuation  of 
the  county  in  1904  was  given  as  $2,540,232.45;  the  county 
bonded  indebtedness,  $36,900;  rate  of  taxation,  i&%  mills. 

Until  a  very  late  date,  the  tract  of  country  known  as  Con- 
verse County  was  given  up  to  stock  growing.  Today  there 
are  thousands  of  acres  of  land  under  cultivation.  Most  of  the 
cultivated  acreage  can  be  classed  as  bottom  or  low  land,  bor- 
dering upon  streams,  although  in  the  southeastern  portion 
lands  are  producing  good  crops  of  corn,  wheat  and  oats  with- 
out irrigation.  The  principal  crop  in  small  grain  is  oats.  With 
irrigation,  oats  have  reached  the  enoonous  yield  of  eighty 
bushels  to  the  acre,  with  a  stool  of  six  feet.  Wheat  will  yield 
fifteen  bushels  on  sod  and  twenty  bushels  on  old  ground.  Rye 
and  barley  produce  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre.  Tame 
grasses — timothy,  clover  and  millet — reach  a  luxuriant  growth. 
Alfalfa  does  well  without  irrigation,  but  when  placed  under 
ditch,  affords  two  and  three  full  crops  per  year.  Corn  makes 
a  good  crop  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  county.  Vegetables, 
under  irrigation  and  in  the  bottom  lands  adjacent  to  streams, 
attain  a  growth  equal  to  California's  famous  products.  Pota- 
toes yield  several  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre.  Pumpkins  and 
squashes  reach  a  weight  of  100  and  even  160  pounds;  cabbage, 
twenty-three  pounds ;  turnips,  twelve  to  fifteen  pounds,  and 
other  vegetables  in  like  proportion. 

Converse  County's  chief  mineral  resources  are  coal,  iron 
and  copper.  The  finest  coal  found  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River  is  in  the  Shawnee  Basin,  fifty  miles  west  of  the  Ne- 
braska state  line.  Near  Douglas  is  found  a  superior  article 
of  lignite,  unsurpassed  as  a  stove  coal  and  a  good  steam  fuel, 
but  the  vein  is  only  two  and  one-half  feet  thick.  At  Inez, 


22  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

sixteen  miles  west  of  Douglas,  the  vein  is  seven  feet  thick, 
with  a  sandstone  roof.  At  Glenrock,  twenty  miles  further 
west,  the  vein  is  about  six  feet  thick,  with  a  sandstone  roof. 
A  new  mine  has  just  been  opened  at  Big  Muddy,  near  Glen- 
rock.  Coal  "crops  out"  in  greater  or  less  veins  in  a  hundred 
localities  throughout  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  and 
particularly  in  the  northwestern  portion.  Assays  of  $68  in 
silver  and  gold,  $240  in  "horn"  silver,  and  forty  to  fifty  per 
cent  in  copper  have  been  obtained  from  prospect  holes  all 
along  the  Laramie  Range  in  this  county,  and  particularly  from 
Spring  Canon,  some  fifteen  miles  south  of  Douglas.  Lime- 
stone is  found  in  abundance,  and  quarries  of  a  superior  quality 
of  sandstone  have  been  located.  Marble  equal  in  grain  and 
variety  and  beautiful  color  to  the  best  has  been  discovered  in 
several  localities,  while  gypsum,  from  which  is  made  the 
plaster  of  paris  of  commerce,  exists  in  inexhaustible  quanties. 
Large  deposits  of  mica,  glass  sand  and  potters'  clay  have  also 
been  located. 

Plenty  of  timber  grows  in  the  mountains  and  foothills, 
principally  pine  and  spruce,  and  native  lumber  is  supplied  at 
reasonable  prices.  There  is  plenty  of  good  land  in  the  county 
subject  to  location,  but  it  is  being  rapidly  taken  up.  Lubri- 
cating oil  is  found  in  different  portions  of  the  county.  Capital 
is  at  present  engaged  in  developing  this  industry. 

Douglas,  the  county  seat,  is  located  on  the  North  Platte 
River  and  on  the  line  of  the  Fremont,  Elkhprn  and  Missouri 
Valley  railroad,  and  has  a  population  of  about  1,000.  The 
town  is  quite  prosperous,  being  the  center  of  a  large  and 
growing  trade.  The  high  prices  received  for  cattle,  sheep, 
wool  and  all  farm,  products  add  greatly  to  its  present  pros- 
perity. Its  numerous  business  places,  substantial  dwellings, 
well  graded  streets,  sidewalks,  waterworks  and  other  im- 
provements attest  the  prosperity  of  the  place.  Its  bonded 
indebtedness  is  $17,000. 

There  are  large  oil  fields  within  a  short  distance  of  Doug- 
las, and  gas  was  recently  struck  in  commercial  quantities 
within  eight  miles  of  the  town.  (See  article,  this  pamphlet, 
on  Oil.) 

There  are  gold  and  copper  mines  south  of  Douglas. 

O.ther  towns  of  importance  are  Glenrock,,  Lusk  and  Man- 
ville,  the  former  a  coal  mining,  town  of  about  600  population, 
and  the  two  latter  .towns  to  which  agricultural  and  stock 
raising  districts  are  tributary. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Douglas. 


CROOK  COUNTY.  23 


Crook  County 


Crook  County  was  organized  in  1875,  and  was  named 
after  General  George  Crook,  the  noted  Indian  fighter. 

This  county  is  situated  on  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
state.  It  is  102  miles  long  by  sixty  wide,  and  has  an  area  of 
6,120  square  miles.  Lands  assessed,  228,953.45  acres;  total 
assessed  value  of  all  property,  $2,336,929.28;  tax  levy,  20 
mills;  bonded  indebtedness,  $51,500;  number  of  schools,  45; 
number  of  school  children,  1,132;  population,  4,094.  The 
county  is  traversed  by  the  Burlington  railroad. 

County  Seat. — The  county  seat  and  principal  town  is  Sun- 
dance, with  a  population  of  about  500,  situated  at  the  foot  of 
Sundance  Mountain,  on  the  banks  of  Sundance  Creek,  a  beau- 
tiful mountain  stream,  and  in  the  center  of  a  fertile  district. 
The  city  owns  its  system  of  waterworks,  substantial  city  hall, 
fire  apparatus,  etc.  Merchandising  in  all  its  branches,  banking 
and  commercial  interests  are  well  represented.  The  municipal 
bonded  indebtedness  is  $14,725,  at  six  per  cent  interest. 

Altitude  and  Climate. — The  altitude  of  Crook  County  av- 
erages about  4,000  feet  above  sea  level;  the  air  is  dry,  bracing 
and  healthful,  with  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  41.1  degrees. 
The  yearly  precipitation  averages  twenty-four  inches.  Agri- 
cultural products  are  grown  throughout  the  county  without 
irrigation. 

Agriculture. — Agricultural  pursuits  claim  the  attention  of 
many  of  the  citizens  of  the  county,  and  wheat,  oats,  rye,  corn 
and  every  variety  of  garden  vegetables  are  raised  with  profit, 
in  many  instances  both  the  yield  and  the  quality  of  the  product 
being  worthy  of  particular  mention.  Wild  fruits  of  the  smaller 
varieties  are  especially  .abundant,  and  considerable  progress 
has  already  been  made  in  the  cultivation  of  the  tame  varieties. 
The  soil  throughout  the  county  is,  a  dark,  rich  loam  of  great 
fertility,  and  the  fact  that  crops  can  be  raised  without  irriga- 
tion facilitates  agricultural  pursuits.  Wheat  yields  twenty 
bushels,  oats  thirty  bushels,  rye  thirty  bushels,  corn  twenty- 
five  bushels,  potatoes  100  bushels  per  acre;  alfalfa,  two  cut- 
tings, three  tons  per  acre  each  cutting;  millet  four  tons,  tim- 
othy two  tons.  Apples  do  well,  as  do  all  kinds  of  small  fruits. 

This  is  the  only  county  in  the  state  where  agricultural 
crops  are  generally  raised  without  irrigation,  and  this  is  very 


24  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING.  . 

fortunately  so,  as  there  are  but  few  streams  of  sufficient  size 
and  fall  to  furnish  sufficient  water  for  irrigation  purposes. 

This  county  is  very  much  in  need  of  railroad  connections. 
A  branch  line  from  the  Burlington  would  add  greatly  to  the 
development  of  the  county. 

Live  Stock. — In  connection  with  agricultural  pursuits,  all 
kinds  of  live  stock  are  raised  extensively.  The  present  return 
for  assessment  shows  38,382  neat  cattle,  8,146  horses  and  68,308 
sheep,  with  a  total  live  stock  valuation  of  $1,111,764.50. 

Mining. — Gold,  silver,  tin,  copper,  lead  and  manganese 
have  been  found  in  considerable  quantities,  and  extensive  fields 
of  a  good  quality  of  semi-bituminous  coal  are  being  developed. 
Much  of  the  future  wealth  of  Crook  County  will  undoubtedly 
come  from  the  development  of  the  coal  fields  of  that  locality. 
Quite  extensive  gold  placer  mining  operations  have  been  con- 
ducted on  Sand  Creek  and  vicinit}^,  with  profit  to  the  operators. 
Granite,  porphyry,  limestone  and  other  building  stones  and  fine 
marbles  are  found  in  great  variety  in  abundance.  A  railroad 
has  been  built  from  Belle  Fourche,  South  Dakota,  to  the 
Aladdin  coal  mines,  near  Barrett,  Wyoming,  a  distance  of 
eighteen  miles.  There  are  also  extensive  oil  fields. 

Streams  and  Topography. — The  county  is  traversed  by 
the  Belle  Fourche,  the  Little  Missouri  and  the  Little  Powder 
Rivers.  The  water  of  the  streams  generally  is  pure  and  suit- 
able to  domestic  uses.  Along  these  streams  are  fertile  valleys 
of  fine  farming  lands,  and  between  the  streams  are  found 
extensive  plateaus,  suitable  for  grazing.  Low  ranges  of  moun- 
tains, well  timbered,  traverse  the  county,  adding  to  the  at- 
tractiveness of  the  landscape. 

Timber. — The  timber  found  on  these  mountain  ranges  is 
a  heavy  growth  of  spruce  and  pine.  Oak,  ash  and  cotton  wood, 
trees  also  abound. 

Fishing. — A  branch  of  the  State  Fish  Hatchery  is  located 
in  Crook  County,  not  far  from  Sundance,  and  many  of  the 
streams  of  the  county  furnish  excellent  sport  to  those  who 
enjoy  the  pursuit  of  game  fish. 

Natural  Curiosities. — A  remarkable  formation  known  as 
the  Devil's  Tower,  a  solid  basaltic  column  rising  abruptly  to  a 
height  of  1,300  feet,  and  making  a  landmark  that  can  be  seen 
for  miles  in  every  direction,  is  a  notable  feature  of  the  topog- 
raphy of  this  county. 

This  county  is  in  the  Sundance  United  States  land  office 
district. 


FREMONT  COUNTY.  25 


Fremont  County 


Fremont  is  the  west  central  county  of  the  state,  and  has 
an  average  width,  north  and  south,  of  100  miles,  and  a  length, 
east  and  west,  of  125  miles.  It  was  organized  in  1884  and  was 
named  after  General  John  C.  Fremont,  the  noted  pathfinder 
and  first  presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  rate  of  taxation  for  1904  was  22  mills ;  the  number 
of  acres  of  land  in  the  same  year  was  68,444,  while  the  valua- 
tion of  all  assessable  property  in  the  county  was  $2,089,585. 
The  bonded  debt  of  the  county  is  $32,200. 

There  are  no  railroads  in  the  county,  but  two  are  prom- 
ised prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Wind  River  Reservation,  June 
15,  1906.  It  is  reached  by  daily  stage  from  Casper,  on  the 
Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  railroad,  and  Rawlins, 
on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  The  mean  annual  temperature 
is  42°.  The  approximate  elevation,  outside  of  the  mountain 
ranges,  is  5,000  feet.  It  is  destined  to  become  a  great  agricul- 
tural district,  though  at  present  farming  is  engaged  in  only 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  a  local  demand.  Nearly  a 
million  acres  are  susceptible  of  irrigation,  including  the  land 
which  will  be  left  in  the  Shoshone  Indian  Reservation  after 
lands  have  been  allotted  to  all  of  the  Indians.  This  land,  when 
irrigated,  produces  most  excellent  crops  of  wheat,  oats,  alfalfa 
and  other  kinds  of  hay,  every  variety  of  vegetables  and  small 
fruit,  and,  in  the  more  sheltered  parts,  fine  orchards  of  the 
Wealthy  and  other  varieties  of  early  apples  are  yielding  a  crop 
which  is  superior  in  flavor  to  any  apple  seen  in  the  irrigated 
counties.  The  average  crops  per  acre  are :  Wheat,  thirty  to 
forty  bushels;  oats,  forty  to  sixty  bushels;  potatoes,  200 
bushels;  alfalfa,  two  to  three  tons  each  cutting,  and  other 
grasses,  about  three  tons  of  hay.  The  yield  of  other  vegetables 
is  in  proportion  to  that  reported  for  potatoes. 

The  county  is  famous  for  its  rich  agricultural  lands  and 
its  abundance  of  water  for  irrigation.  It  is  also  noted  for  its 
fine  apple  orchards  and  abundance  of  small  fruits.  The  wool 
clip  of  the  county  for  1903  was  1,200,000  pounds.  There  are 
many  small  cattle  ranches  in  the  county,  which  have  been 
operated  successfully  for  many  years.  Wheat  is  grown  in  the 
Lander  Valley,  and  it  has  been  a  profitable  crop  annually  for 
the  last  fifteen  years.  There  are  three  improved  flouring 
mills  in  the  county,  one  located  at  Lander,  another  in  Milford, 
the  third  at  the  Shoshone  Agency.  All  these  mills  turn  out 


26  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

high  patent  process  flour,  and  the  product  is  equal  to  the  best 
anywhere.  Oats  and  all  kinds  of  garden  vegetables  grow  to 
perfection.  Alfalfa  and  timothy  yield  abundantly,  and  native 
hay  grasses  abound  everywhere.  < 

There  is  an  abundance  of  timber  for  building  purposes  and 
saw  mills  to  cut  up  the  lumber.  A  fine  quality  of  coal  is 
found  in  inexhaustible  quantities  all  along  the  valley,  which 
provides  a  cheap  fuel  for  domestic  and  steam  purposes.  There 
are  a  number  of  oil  springs  in  the  county,  and  ten  miles  south 
of  Lander  are  thirteen  flowing  wells,  with  a  capacity  of  200 
barrels  per  day  each.  These  wells  are  plugged  at  present, 
awaiting  the  advent  of  a  railroad.  (See  article  on  Oil.)  White 
and  red  sandstone,  for  building  purposes,  is  found  in  every 
part  of  the  county.  Eight  miles  west  of  Lander  there  is  a 
deposit  of  gray  marble,  and  near  it  an  abundant  supply  of 
granite.  Both  of  these  are  susceptible  of  a  high  polish. 

The  streams  of  Fremont  County  are  numerous  and  of  a 
lasting  character.  The  Big  Horn,  Wind  River,  Little  Wind 
and  the  numerous  branches  of  the  Popo  Agie  are  the  fountain 
heads  of  the  Missouri  River.  They  take  their  rise  in  the  Wind 
River  Range,  whose  mountains  are  among  the  loftiest  of  the 
Continental  Divide. 

Fish  abound  in  all  the  streams  of  this  section,  and  trout 
fishing  is  the  pastime  of  many.  There  is  an  abundance  of  elk, 
deer  and  antelope,  and  a  number  of  varieties  of  bear  in  the 
Wind  River  Range  and  Owl  Creek  Mountains,  which  extend 
nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  county. 

Southern  Fremont  County  has  numerous  gold  deposits, 
both  in  placer  and  quartz.  (See  "Mineral  Resources,"  this 
pamphlet.) 

Lander,  the  county  seat,  is  centrally  located,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  hundreds  of  improved  farms.  The  court  house  is 
a  fine,  large  brick  structure.  The  public  school  building  is  of 
brick  and  contains  nine  large  rooms.  The  school  is  graded, 
and  the  graduates  of  the  high  school  are  admitted  to  the  State 
University.  Three  religious  societies  have  church  edifices, 
namely,  Methodist,  Episcopal  and  Catholic.  The  population 
is  737. 

The  town  of  Thermopolis  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Big  Horn  Hot  Springs  Reservation,  and  contains  about 
300  inhabitants.  This  town  was  started  in  September,  1897, 
and  is  growing  rapidly.  The  Big  Horn  Hot  Springs  are  just 
across  the  river,  in  Big  Horn  County,  and  are  a  source  of 
considerable  revenue  to  the  town.  (See  "Hot  Springs,"  Big 
Horri  County.) 

For  information  relative  to  the  opening  of  the  Wind 
River  Reservation,  June  15,  1906,  see  article  thereon  in  the 
^chapter  pertaining  to  land  and  irrigation  matters. 


JOHNSON  COUNTY.  27 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Lander, 
except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the 
county,  which  are  in  the  Cheyenne  land  office  district. 


Johnson  County 


Johnson  County  was  organized  in  1879,  and  was  named 
after  E.  P.  Johnson,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Cheyenne.  It  has 
an  area  of  4,046  square  miles.  The  total  assessed  valuation  of 
the  county  in  1904  was  $2,092,425.98;  county  bonded  indebt- 
edness, $50,800;  tax  levy,  20%  mills;  the  population  of  the 
county,  2,361.  With  its  rolling  plains,  extensive  forests  and 
fertile  valleys,  it  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  sections 
of  the  state.  The  Big  Horn  Mountains  have  an  elevation  of 
14,000  feet,  while  many  of  the  valleys  are  less  than  4,000  feet 
above  the  sea  level. 

The  resources  of  the  county  are  varied.  Stock  raising  is 
the  chief  industry.  The  vast  open  range  and  abundant  streams 
of  pure  water  make  it  a  paradise  for  cattle.  There  are  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  grazing  lands,  and  sufficient  land  can  be  irri- 
gated to  produce  enough  hay,  grain  and  alfalfa  to  make  winter 
feed  for  all  the  live  stock  that  the  range  will  support  in  sum- 
mer. The  county  is  one  of  the  best  watered  counties  in  Wyo- 
ming, being  well  supplied  with  small  streams  heading  in  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains,  and  flowing  generally  to  the  northeast 
and  northwest. 

The  northern  part  of  the  county  is  a  good  farming  coun- 
try and  easily  accessible  by  means  of  the  Burlington  railway. 
All  kinds  of  vegetables  are  successfully  raised ;  cabbage,  tur- 
nips, rutabagas,  lettuce,  parsnips,  cauliflower,  beets,  carrots, 
celery,  broomcorn  and  sorghum  cane  are  all  grown  with  suc- 
cess, while  melons  and  small  fruits  of  unequaled  flavor  and 
excellence  are  cultivated.  Yield  of  oats  per  acre  is  forty-^five 
bushels  and  upwards;  potatoes  average  400  bushels;  alfalfa 
produces  two  crops  per  year,  of  from  four  to  seven  tons  per 
acre;  and  other  crops  in  proportion. 

There  are  30,000  acres -under  irrigation,  and  200,000  acres 
are  susceptible  of  irrigation  and  only  await  the  advent  of  the 
industrious  settler,  who  can  here  obtain  a  good  home  cheap, 
and  there  are  2,000,000  acres  of  available  grazing  land.  Pas- 
ture lands  sell  for  $2,  irrigated  from  $15  to  $25.  Prices  of 
products  obtained  by  ranchmen  are  as  follows :  Alfalfa,  $3.50 ; 
timothy,  $6;  bluestem,  native,  $8  per  ton  ;  oats,  $1.25  per  cwt. ; 


28  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

wheat  and  potatoes,  $i  per  cwt.  There  is  a  large  supply  of 
pine  timber  taken  from  the  mountains,  which  is  well  suited  for 
building  purposes.  Along  the  streams  are  thrifty  groves  of 
cottonwood,  and  experiments  have  shown  that  timber  of 
various  kinds  can  be  as  successfully  grown  here  as  in  the 
prairie  states  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska. 

Minerals  are  yet  undeveloped,  but  valuable  prospects  in 
gold,  silver  and  copper  are  found  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
Oil  is  found  in  large  quantities,  but  because  of  a  lack  of  trans- 
portation facilities  is  not  worked. 

This  county  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  best  range  coun- 
ties in  the  state.  It  has  one  of  the  finest  winter  ranges  in  the 
west,  where  stock  can  roam  at  will,  secure  from  winter  storms 
in  the  shelter  afforded  by  the  high  hills  and  deep  gulches,  while 
on  account  of  the  protection  given  by  the  location  of  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains  and  its  spurs,  lying  to  the  west  and  north, 
blizzards  are  unknown,  and  the  fall  of  snow  is  the  least,  es- 
pecially on  the  head  of  Powder  River  and  its  tributaries,  of  any 
place  in  the  same  latitude  in  the  United  States,  with  the  prob- 
able exception  of  a  small  strip  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  hills 
are  covered  with  a  thick  sod  of  buffalo  and  other  native 
grasses,  and  the  cattle  on  the  range  in  the  central  and  southern 
parts  of  the  county  keep  in  as  good  condition  as  many  of  those 
in  pastures  where  they  have  been  fed  nearly  all  the  winter. 

Buffalo,  the  county  seat,  has  always  been  a  prosperous 
town,  and  at  the  present  time  has  a  population  of  1,000.  It  is 
the  business  center  of  a  fine  grazing  and  agricultural  district 
and  has  superior  natural  advantages. 

Clear  Creek  could  furnish  water  power  for  a  hundred  fac- 
tories, besides  irrigating  several  thousand  acres  of  land.  At  the 
present  time  Buffalo  is  thirty-two  miles  from  the  Burlington 
railroad,  but  at  no  distant  day  expects  to  have  a  railroad  con- 
nection. Its  citizens  have  been  very  enterprising  in  building 
up  the  town,  having  erected  a  $40,000  court  house,  a  $15,000 
school  house  and  numerous  brick  buildings.  The  city  also 
maintains  an  electric  light  plant,  flouring  mill,  waterworks  and 
two  newspapers.  Two  stage  lines  are  operated,  one  leaving 
daily  for  Sheridan  and  the  other  for  Clearmont,  the  nearest 
railroad  point.  The  town  of  Buffalo  needs  an  electric  railway 
connection  with  the  Burlington  Route,  a  distance  of  forty  miles 
down  Clear  Creek,  where  water  power  can  be  obtained 
therefor. 

The  Government,  under  the  National  Irrigation  Act,  con- 
templates using  the  waters  from  Lake  De  Smet  for  the  irriga- 
tion of  a  vast  tract  of  land,  which,  if  done,  will  open  same  to 
settlement,  with  water  on  the  land. 


LARAMIE  COUNTY.  29 

Here  is  located  the  State  Soldiers'  Home,  upon  1,270  acres 
of  fertile  land.     The  buildings  cost  over  $100,000. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Buffalo. 


Laramie  County 


Laramie  County  was  organized  in  1879,  and  was  named 
after  Jacques  Laramie,  a  French  fur  trader,  who  was  killed 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River  about  1820.  The  Lar- 
amie River,  Laramie  Peak,  Fort  Laramie  and  Laramie  County 
were  named  after  this  pioneer. 

The  county  indebtedness  is  $400,000,  and  the  rate  of  tax- 
ation is  20%  mills.  The  total  number  of  acres  of  land  listed 
for  taxation  is  1,083,266.19,  and  the  value  of  all  real  estate  in 
the  county,  including  town  lots,  is  $3,113,731.50;  total  value  of 
all  assessable  property  in  the  county  is  $6,782,438.32. 

This  county  is  located  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  Wyo- 
ming, and  comprises  an  area  of  7,000  square  miles.  It  ranks 
first  in  population  and  wealth,  and  was  one  of  the  original  four 
counties  of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming.  The  rolling  plains 
along  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Black  Hills  Range,  varying  in 
altitude  from  4,000  to  8,000  feet,  are  its  natural  features.  These 
plains  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  grazing.  In  all  parts  of  the 
county  are  found  numerous  streams.'  The  total  acreage  of  the 
county  is  4,520,000,  of  which  3,000,000  acres  are  fine  grazing 
land  and  1,000,000  are  susceptible  of  being  made  rich  agri- 
cultural lands. 

It  is  full  of  undeveloped  resources ;  has  iron,  coal,  copper, 
gold  and  silver,  sandstone,  marble,  granite,  mineral  paint  and 
mica.  The  land  is  generally  free  from  stones  and  other  ob- 
structions, and  is  easily  broken  and  cultivated,  and  is  very 
fertile. 

Laramie  County  has  passed  from  a  purely  pastoral  condi- 
tion to  one  of  mixed  husbandry.  Stock  raising,  farming,  dairy- 
ing and  gardening  are  practiced  in  varying  degrees.  The 
average  temperature  is  about  60°  F. ;  the  rainfall  fourteen 
inches.  All  field  crops  common  to  the  west  succeed  well. 

The  development  through  irrigation  has  not  been  confined 
to  any  particular  locality.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  the 
water  reliable  and  the  altitude  sufficiently  low  to  warrant  the 
planting  of  any  of  the  ordinary  field  crops.  The  creeks  are 
lined,  therefore,  with  the  farms  of  ranchmen,  who,  combining 
farming  and  stock  raising,  are  prosperous. 


30  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

County  Seat. — The  City  of  Cheyenne  is  the  county  seat  of 
Laramie  County  and  the  state  capital,  and  has  a  population  of 
14,000.  Owing  to  the  rapid  advancement  of  Cheyenne  after  the 
settlement  in  1867,  it  gained  the  title  of  "The  Magic  City,"  and 
has  always  been  noted  for  the  wealth  and  enterprise  of  its  citi- 
zens. The  city  was  designated  as  the  capital  when  Wyoming 
Territory  was  organized  in  1869.  It  is  516  miles  west  of  Omaha, 
on  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific.  It  is  also  the  junction  point 
of  the  Colorado  and  Southern  and  the  terminus  of  the  Bur- 
lington Route. 

Cheyenne  has  an  extensive  system  of  waterworks,  the 
latest  and  most  approved  sewerage  system,  fire  department 
and  fire  alarm  system,  telephone  exchange,  arc  and  incandes- 
cent electric  lighted  streets,  besides  gas  for  general  use ;  has  a 
new  opera  house  building  in  process  of  construction,  to  cost 
$80,000;  a  $30,000  club  house,  fine  business  blocks,  elegant 
private  residences,  two  banks,  eleven  churches,  two  daily  news- 
papers and  state  capitol  costing  $300,000.  Among  the  other 
institutions  are  the  federal  building  and  postofnce,  costing 
$350,000;  Elks'  home,  costing  $30,000;  Masonic  temple,  $50,- 
ooo;  five  public  school  buildings,  built  at  an  average  cost  of 
$30,000;  convent  school,  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $50,000;  a 
county  hospital,  a  county  court  house  and  jail,  and  extensive 
railroad  shops,  employing  700  men.  Andrew  Carnegie  gave 
$50,000  for  the  construction  of  a  public  library,  which  has  been 
built.  The  city  is  the  supply  point  for  an  immense  stock  rais- 
ing and  agricultural  country,  and  its  citizens  are  among  the 
largest  live  stock  owners  in  the  state. 

Fort  Russell,  three  miles  from  the  city,  is  the  largest  and 
most  important  military  post  in  the  Department  of  the  Mis- 
souri. 

There  are  several  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
city,  and  the  volume  of  business  transacted  annually  amounts 
to  many  thousands  of  dollars.  A  creamery  established  several 
years  has  a  big  business  and  draws  trade  from  a  large  section 
of  country. 

Strangers  view  with  delight  the  miles  of  smooth  stone 
flagging  and  cement  sidewalks  that  line  almost  every  street  in 
Cheyenne.  The  beauty  of  many  of  the  streets  and  avenues  is 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  bright  green  turf  on  either  side  of  the 
walks,  which,  together  with  long  lines  of  trees,  forms  an 
agreeable  feature  of  the  city's  landscape.  Nowhere  can  be 
found  more  delightful  drives.  Nature  has  provided  roads 
equal  to  the  smooth  gravel  roads  of  Central  Park,  New  York. 
The  people  of  Cheyenne  have  made  it  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive places  in  which  to  live  in  America. 


LARAMIE  COUNTY.  31 

One  of  the  greatest  attractions  of  the  city  is  its  pure  and 
healthful  climate.  Its  air  is  an  invigorating  tonic,  cool  in  the 
summer,  mild  in  winter.  No  better  summer  climate  can  Ji>e 
found  in  our  land. 

The  Wheatland  Colony. — No  more  important  enterprise 
has  been  undertaken  and  carried  out  to  successful  results  in 
the  reclamation  of  arid  lands  than  that  of  the  Wheatland 
Colony  by  the  Wyoming  Development  Company  of  Chey- 
enne. Each  year  since  the  initiation  of  the  enterprise  the 
company  has  done  much  for  the  betterment  of  the  system. 
Its  great  irrigation  plant  now  means  the  successful  and  ulti- 
mate reclamation  of  fully  one  hundred  thousand  acres.  The 
lands  reclaimed  and  being  reclaimed  are  in  the  northern  half 
of  Laramie  County,  by  railroad  ninety  miles  from  Cheyenne, 
on  either  side  of  the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad. 

In  the  selection  of  a  locality  for  an  irrigation  plant,  many 
things  should  be  considered,  among  which  are,  a  market  for 
the  agricultural  products,  the  soil,  water  supply  and  acces- 
sibility to  timber.  The  Wheatland  Colony  has  all  these  ad- 
vantages. The  altitude,  4,500  to  4,800  feet,  is  the  happy 
medium  for  the  cultivation  of  lands  with  the  aid  of  irrigation. 

The  water  is  taken  from  the  Laramie  River,  the  Sybille 
and  Blue  Grass  Creeks,  through  three  canals.  Number  one 
is  thirty-four  miles  long,  has  a  width  of  twenty  feet  on  the 
bottom  and  a  depth  of  four  feet.  Canal  number  two  is  twenty- 
two  miles  long,  has  a  depth  of  three  and  one-half  feet  and  a 
width  on  the  bottom  of  twenty-two  feet.  Canal  number  three 
is  twelve  miles  long,  has  a  width  of  fifteen  feet  on  the  bottom 
and  a  depth  of  three  feet.  The  water  is  turned  from  the  Lar- 
amie River  to  the  head  of  Blue  Grass  Creek  by  means  of  a 
tunnel.  The  Blue  Grass  carries  the  water  to  Sybille  Creek, 
and  from  that  stream  the  water  is  conducted  by  the  above 
mentioned  canals  across  the  lands  to  be  irrigated  by  laterals, 
distributed  wherever  necessary.  To  reinforce  the  water  sup- 
ply in  case  of  drouth  in  any  season,  water  has  been  turned 
into  natural  reservoirs.  Number  one  has  a  shore  line  of 
eight  miles.  No  more  extensive  reservoir  has  yet  been  found 
in  the  United  States  than  number  two ;  it  is  seven  miles  long, 
averaging  two  and  one-half  miles  in  width.  Its  greatest  depth 
is  thirty-five  feet,  and  its  average  depth  is  eighteen  feet.  It 
covers  6,600  acres,  and  has  a  shore  line  of  thirty-five  miles. 
It  carries  118,800  acre  feet  of  storage. 

A  timber  supply  of  sufficient  abundance  for  all  domestic 
purposes  is  near  at  hand. 

The  soil  is  a  black  loam,  well  adapted  for  all  small  grains 
grown  in  the  temperate  zone,  alfalfa,  clover,  potatoes,  sugar 


32  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

beets,  vegetables  and  some  varieties  of  Indian  corn.  The  ex- 
periments with  growing  apples,  cherries,  plums  and  all  small 
fruits  have  been  satisfactory.  That  the  soil  is  well  adapted 
for  the  production  of  wheat,  oats,  barley,  rye,  potatoes,  tur- 
nips, flax,  beets,  cabbage  and  certain  varieties  of  corn,  has 
been  shown  by  repeated  tests  and  experiments.  Timothy 
does  exceedingly  well,  and  crops  of  alfalfa  produced  mark 
the  country  as  one  of  the  best  for  growing  this  profitable  for- 
age plant.  Experiments  in  growing  sugar  beets  have  been  so 
successful  that  doubtless  before  long  a  sugar  beet  factory  will 
be  established  in  the  colony.  Experts  of  two  of  the  sugar 
beet  companies  of  the  United  States  have  made  very  favorable 
reports  to  their  companies  on  the  Wheatland  Colony  as  a 
place  for  the  establishment  of  a  sugar  beet  plant. 

The  school  system  is  of  the  very  best.  There  are  nine 
good  schools  in  the  colony.  The  colony  is  supplied  with  rural 
mail  delivery  and  collection. 

The  City  of  Cheyenne,  the  towns  of  Guernsey,  Hartville, 
Wyncote,  Torrington  and  Sunrise,  and  the  mining  and  stock 
raising  sections  afford  good  markets  for  everything  raised  in 
the  colony. 

Sheep  and  cattle  feeding  are  no  longer  experimental  in 
the  colony.  It  has  become  a  very  profitable  business.  Alfalfa 
is  the  foundation  of  successful  sheep  and  lamb  feeding.  The 
hog  business  is  proving  very  profitable  around  Wheatland. 
Hog  cholera  is  unknown  in  Wyoming.  The  climatic  condi- 
tions are  very  favorable  for  stock  growing  and  feeding. 

The  thrifty  town  of  Wheatland  is  in  the  center  of  the 
colony.  It  is  on  the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad,  which 
connects  at  Cheyenne  with  the  Union  Pacific  and  Burlington 
systems,  at  Orin  Junction  with  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and 
Missouri  Valley  railroad  (a  part  of  the  Northwestern  system), 
and  at  Hartville  Junction  with  the  Burlington. 

The  town  has  a  population  of  six  hundred,  made  up  of  a 
fine  class  of  people,  intelligent,  hospitable  and  public  spirited. 
It  has  fine  school  buildings,  three  churches — Methodist,  Con- 
gregational and  Roman  Catholic — a  library  and  a  good  library 
building.  The  town  is  supplied  with  a  telephone  exchange, 
and  has  long  distance  connections  with  all  the  large  towns  of 
Wyoming,  Colorado,  Utah  and  Idaho.  There  are  five  general 
stores,  a  drug  store,  two  livery  stables,  two  hotels,  one  bank, 
a  harness  and  saddle  manufacturing  establishment,  two  black- 
smith and  carriage  shops,  two  newspapers,  five  secret  orders, 
a  good  hall  and  a  modern  roller  mill  with  a  capacity  of  125 
barrels  a  day. 

Coal  is  cheap.  Wood  is  abundant  and  may  be  had  for 
simply  the  cutting  and  hauling.  Good  native  lumber  is  worth 


LARAMIE  COUNTY.  33 

$15  per  thousand,  or  from  $7  to  $10  at  the  mills.  Building 
stone  is  plenty  and  bricks  are  made  in  proximity  to  the  town. 
Wheatland  has  a  good  outlook,  and  is  one  of  the  many 
sections  of  the  state  that  promise  good  and  speedy  returns 
for  capital  invested.  The  agriculturalist  who  is  looking  for  an 
ideal  farming  country;  cattle  and  sheep  producers  who  are 
desirous  for  the  most  advantageous  conditions  for  stock  rais- 
ing; the  business  man  who  is  seeking  the  new  town  full'  of 
promise,  with  a  growing  surrounding  country,  and  those  bro- 
ken in  health  who  seek  a  favorable  climate,  will  find  good 
openings  at  Wheatland.  The  lands  are  selling  rapidly  for 
from  $22.50  to  $35  per  'acre.  Ten  years'  time  is  given,  with 
equal  annual  payments,  at  six  per  cent  interest.  No  payment 
except  the  interest  has  to  be  made  the  second  year,  which 
gives  the  settler  an  opportunity  to  pay  for  his  farm  even 
though  his  means  be  limited.  A  perpetual  water  right  goes 
with  each  piece  of  land,  and  a  purchaser  of  a  Wheatland  farm 
cannot  be  deprived  of  an  equal  water  right  with  every  land- 
holder any  more  than  he  can  be  deprived  of  the  land  itself. 
The  land  and  water  go  together.  When  the  lands  and  water 
have  all  been  sold,  the  irrigation  works  will  be  absolutely  un- 
der the  control  of  those  holding  lands  in  the  colony. 

During  the  winter  just  passed  25,000  head  of  sheep  were 
fed  at  Wheatland,  all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of  about 
1,000  head,  were  lambs.  They  were  fed  by  William  Ayers, 
M.  R.  Johnston,  William  Trenholm,  D.  M.  Southworth, 
William  M.  Clark,  Albert  McElheny,  Duncan  Grant,  Shep- 
hard  Bros.,  William  Nelson  and  A.  M.  Axford.  With  the 
exception  of  Mr.  Ayers  and  Mr.  Johnston,  each  of  whom  fed 
5,000  head,  they  were  fed  in  small  bunches,  but  all  were  fed 
by  men  on  their  own  lands;  all  of  whom vp reduced  a  part  of 
the  hay  required  for  the  feeding.  There  were  5,000  tons  of 
hay  fed  and  fifty  car  loads,  or  2,500,000  pounds,  of  corn  fed. 

The  feeding  was  very  profitable,  as  the  net  profits  were 
from  $i  to  $2.50  per  head.  The  ruling  price  for  the  alfalfa 
hay  in  the  stack  is  from  $3.50  to  $4.50  per  ton.  There  was 
left  over  a  surplus  of  hay  that  would  have  fed  as  many  more 
sheep.  Owing  to  the  increased  acreage  of  alfalfa  to  be  har- 
vested this  season,  the  Wheatland  Colony  will  be  in  position 
to  feed  and  fatten  75,000  lambs  during  the  coming  winter.  • 

The  sheep  feeding  conditions  are  most  favorable  at 
Wheatland. 

Guernsey. — The  new  town  of  Guernsey,  which  is  the  nat- 
ural railroad  and  business  center  of  the  iron  region  known 
as  the  Hartville  Iron  Range,  and  described  elsewhere  in  this 
book  under  Mineral  Resources,  is  located  at  the  base  of  the 


34  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

Iron  Range  in  the  Valley  of  the  Platte  River.  It  is  beautifully 
situated  below  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  Canon  in  a  broad 
sweep  of  intervals  in  a  bend  of  the  river.  With  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mining  and  stock  industries  and  railroad  build- 
ing, with  which  its  interests  are  identified,  and  from  which  it 
sprang  into  existence,  its  future  growth  is  assured. 

Its  location,  marks  it  as  one  of  the  coming  industrial  cities 
of  Wyoming.  It  already  has  two  railroads,  and  with  the 
western  extensions  of  the  Burlington,  will  become  a  division 
headquarters  on  its  continental  system,  and  will  have  connec- 
tion with  the  mining  camps,  not  only  of  the  Hartville  Range, 
but  those  of  Halleck  Canon,  Plumbago  Canon,  Squaw  Moun- 
tain, Horse  Shoe  Park,  North  Laramie  and  the  Peak  Range. 
North  of  Guernsey  are  the  mining  camps  of  Whalen  Canon, 
Wildcat,  Muskrat  and  Rawhide  Buttes,  which  will  be  reached 
by  a  spur  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountains. 

The  establishment  of  industrial  enterprises  at  Guernsey 
is  to  be  promoted  by  the  building  of  a  big  dam  at  the  mouth 
of  the  canon,  where  the  immense  volume  of  Platte  River 
water  will  be  utilized  for  electric  light,. power  and  water  sys- 
tems second  to  none  in  the  west.  The  electric  power  gen- 
erated here  will  not  only  furnish  light,  but  will  in  time 
operate  all  the  mines  of  the  range,  while  the  water  supply  will 
irrigate  thousands  of  acres  of  land  along  the  valley,  as  well 
as  provide  an  admirable  water  system  for  the  City  of  Guern- 
sey, with  its  mills,  smelters  and  workshops,  at  a  small  expense. 

Sunrise  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron 
Company's  mines.  Development  work  on  some  of  the  mining 
claims  at  Sunrise  and  Hartville  show  indications  of  good  gold 
values,  and  a  gold  mining  district  may  be  developed. 

Dry  Farming  in  Laramie  County. — Laramie  County  has 
not  only  the  greatest  irrigation  enterprise  in  Wyoming,  but  it 
has  millions  of  acres  susceptible  of  profitable  cultivation  by 
a  scientific  system  of  dry  farming.  Hon.  W.  C.  Deming,  of  the 
committee  having  the  important  work  in  charge,  makes  the 
following  statement: 

"Cheyenne  is  the  center  of  the  dry  farming  movement  in 
Wyoming.  There  are  two  distinct  and  active  movements  now 
in  progress  along  this  line. 

"The  Agricultural  Department  of  the  United  States  has 
contributed  $2,000;  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  $1,000;  the  Bur- 
lington railway,  $1.000;  the  State  Agricultural  College  at  Lar- 
amie, $500:  the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad,  $350;  the 
Cheyenne  Board  of  Trade,  $150;  making  a  total  of  $5,000  for 
experiments  to  be  carried  on  over  a  series  of  years.  The  farm, 
embracing  about  100  acres  of  land,  is  located  near  Cheyenne, 


NATRONA  COUNTY. 


35 


and  the  experiments  will  range  from  absolute  dry  farming  to 
winter  irrigation  and  summer  irrigation  by  windmills.  The 
experiments  are  in  charge  of  Prof.  Elwood  Mead  of  the  United 
States  irrigation  office,  State  Engineer  C.  T.  Johnston,  Prof. 

B.  C.  Buffum  of  the  State  Agricultural  College.    John  H.  Gor- 
don is  superintendent. 

"The  other  movement  is  on  a  larger  scale,  so  far  as  im- 
mediate work  is  concerned. 

"Laramie  County,  the  City  of  Cheyenne  and  the  Chey- 
enne Board  of  Trade  have  raised  an  experimental  fund  and 
placed  the  work  in  the  hands  of  the  following  committee :  W. 

C.  Deming,    Chairman ;    H.   B.   Henderson,   Secretary-Treas- 
urer;  C.  B.  Richardson,  Chairman  Executive  Committee,  and 
Dr.  V.  T.  Cooke,  Director. 

"Dr.  Cooke  is  a  practical  farmer  from  East  Oregon,  who 
has  fanned  successfully  for  twenty  years  without  irrigation. 
He  is  located  at  Cheyenne,  and  is  now  superintending  fifty 
different  tracts  within  twenty-five  miles  of  Cheyenne,  each 
varying  from  one  to  fifty  acres. 

"The  Cheyenne  system  is  an  application  of  common  sense 
principles  to  farming  in  an  arid  region.  It  embraces  thorough 
preparation  of  the  soil  by  deep  plowing  and  frequent  harrow- 
ing, allowing  the  soil  to  summer  fallow,  thereby  gaining  two 
years'  moisture  for  each  crop.  From  hay  and  forage  alone, 
land  hitherto  worthless,  except  for  grazing  purposes,  is  being 
quadrupled  in  value. 

"Dr.  Cooke,  like  W.  H.  Campbell  of  the  Campbell  system, 
guarantees  remunerative  results  in  potatoes,  dry  land  alfalfa 
and  all  cereals  which  grow  by  irrigation,  if  seeds  adapted  to 
the  arid  region,  and  developed  from  dry  land  farming,  are  used, 
and  careful  and  intelligent  methods  of  cultivation  pursued. 

"Many  Laramie  County  ranchmen  have  met  with  mod- 
erate success  in  dry  farming  for  years,  but  expect  to  materially 
increase  their  yield  under  the  personal  direction  of  Dr.  Cooke." 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Cheyenne. 


Natrona  County. 

Natrona  County  was  organized  in  1888.  It  derives  its 
name  from  the  natural  deposits  of  natron,  or  carbonate  of 
soda,  found  in  the  numerous  basins  or  lakes  that  abound  in 
that  section  of  Wyoming.  Located  in  almost  the  geographical 
center  of  the  state,  it  covers  an  area  of  about  seventy  miles 


36  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

square.  The  Platte  River,  with  its  numerous  tributaries  trav- 
ersing its  entire  length,  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  from 
east  to  west,  furnishes  an  abundant,  supply  of  water  for  irriga- 
tion, and  as  the  mean  elevation  is  5,500  feet,  the  farmers  of 
the  county  can  raise  all  the  hardy  grains,  vegetables  and  fruit 
common  to  the  northwestern  states. 

At  the  present  time  the  live  stock  interest  leads  all  other 
industries  in  this  county.  The  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Mis- 
souri Valley  railroad,  a  branch  of  the  great  Northwestern  sys- 
tem, affords  an  outlet  to  eastern  markets.  The  assessed  wealth 
of  Natrona  County  in  1904  was  $2,035,491.92.  The  county  in- 
debtedness is  $15,900,  and  the  rate  of  taxation  for  the  year 
1904  was  20  mills. 

The  raising  of  sheep  overshadows  all  other  industries. 
The  fleece  of  a  Natrona  County  sheep  will  average  seven 
pounds,  and  the  total  wool  clip  for  1905  approximates  3,000,- 
ooo  pounds. 

But  it  is  the  undeveloped  resources  of  Natrona  County 
that  offer  the  greatest  inducement  for  the  investment  of  cap- 
ital. Already  the  oil  industry  has  reached  an  important  stage 
of  development.  (See  article  on  Oil.) 

Steam  coal  exists  in  Natrona  County.  Lignite  coal,  vary- 
ing from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in  thickness,  is  found  in 
various  parts  of  the  county.  The  inexhaustible  deposits  of 
sulphate  and  carbonate  of  soda,  which  are  formed  from  natural 
springs,  will  some  day  be  the  basis  of  a  great  and  profitable 
industry,  and  only  await  the  magic  touch  of  capital  and  skill 
to  develop  their  greatest  possibilities. 

Among  the  natural  wonders  of  Natrona  County  are  the 
Alcova  Hot  Springs,  which  possess  medicinal  virtues  for  the 
treatment  of  rheumatism  and  kindred  diseases.  These  springs- 
are  located  on  the  North  Platte  River,  in  the  mountains,  and 
are  surrounded  with  beautiful  scenery.  Considerable  develop- 
ment has  been  made  in  the  mining  of  precious  metals.  De- 
posits of  gold  and  silver  ore  are  found  in  the  mountains.  Low 
grade  ores,  which  assay  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a  ton,  are 
abundant,  and  in  time  can  be  profitably  mined.  Coal,  copper, 
iron  and  valuable  building  stone  are  found  in  various  localities. 
The  best  developed  copper  claims  in  Casper  Mountain  assay 
from  37  to  40  per  cent  copper.  Asbestos  is  also  found. 

Casper,  the  county  seat  of  Natrona  County,  is  a  thriving 
town  of  1,200  inhabitants.  It  is  the  western  terminus  of  the 
Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  railroad,  which  gives 
it  a  large  and  important  freighting  business  and  trade  with 
the  country  west  of  Casper,  including  the  prosperous  counties 
of  Fremont  and  Hig  Horn.  Its  fine  business  blocks,  churches 


SHERIDAN  COUNTY.  37 

and  school  houses  attest  the  liberality  of  the  people.  Among 
the  recent  improvements  are  fine  waterworks  and  a  steam 
plant  for  shearing  sheep.  There  are  about  7,000  acres  of  land 
irrigated,  while  there  are  50,000  acres  susceptible  of  irrigation 
and  3,700,000  acres  of  pasture  lands. 

The  United  States  Government  is  constructing  an  im- 
mense dam  above  Alcova,  turning  the  Grand  Canon  of  the 
Platte  into  a  storage  reservoir  and  affording  water  for  recla- 
mation of  arid  lands.  (See  article  on  North  Platte  project.) 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Douglas. 


Sheridan  County. 


Sheridan  County  was  organized  in  1888,  and  was  named 
for  General  Phil  Sheridan.  It  is  situated  in  the  central  part 
of  Northern  Wyoming.  It  is  ninety  miles  east  and  west,  and 
thirty  miles  north  and  south,  containing  2,700  square  miles. 
This  area  is  divided  as.  follows :  Three  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  thousand  acres  mountainous,  350,000  acres  irrigated  or 
capable  of  irrigation,  1,000,000  acres  grazing  lands.  There 
are  now,  approximately,  200,000  acres  under  cultivation. 

The  assessed  wealth  of  Sheridan  County  in  1904  was 
$3.433,524.15;  rate  of  taxation,  20  mills ;  bonded  indebtedness, 
$21,700. 

The  principal  products  of  the  county  are  cattle,  hay,  oats, 
wheat,  potatoes  and  coal.  Farming,  in  connection  with  stock 
raising,  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the  people,  being  by  far  the 
best  paying  business.  This  county  combines  in  an  exceed- 
ingly favorable  manner  crop  raising  and  stock  raising.  The 
range  grasses  here  are  considered  by  stockmen  to  be  unex- 
celled. An  evidence  of  this  is  in  the  fact  that  range  beef  from 
this  county  usually  brings  the  highest  price  for  that  class  of 
beef  in  the  Chicago  market.  Referring  to  the  crops,  they  also 
receive  the  highest  awards,  both  for  quality  and  quantity. 

The  climate  here  is  good.  The  chinook  or  warm  winds 
from  the  Pacific  Ocean  keep  the  range  open  during  the  winter. 

The  annual  output  of  coal  is  500,000  tons,  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  shipped  to  the  Black  Hills  and  points  in  Nebraska. 
Of  wheat,  200,000  bushels  are  raised  each  year,  the  acreage 
being  on  the  increase,  but  by  far  the  largest  acreage  in  crops 
is  given  to  the  raising  of  hay,  principally  alfalfa.  This  is  the 
case  where  the  business  is  that  of  stock  raising.  It  is  notable, 


38  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

however,  that  as  farmers  come  into  this  country  from  eastern 
states  the  farm  is  made  to  produce  greater  profit  in  the  raising 
of  grain,  potatoes  and  small  fruit.  This  county  secured  at  the 
World's  Fair  in  Chicago  a  medal  for  the  best  spring  wheat 
raised  in  1893. 

The  mountainous  part  of  Sheridan  County  shows  pros- 
pects rich  in  copper,  and  good  samples  of  gold,  silver,  nickel 
and  other  minerals  are  found.  This  part  of  the  county  con- 
tains a  large  number  of  natural  basins  for  the  storage  of 
water,  which  insures  a  vast  development  at  no  distant  time 
in  the  production  of  crops  requiring  late  irrigation.  With 
abundance  of  water,  the  prospects  in  the  mountains  being 
developed  into  mines,  the  whole  country  being  underlaid 
with  coal,  Sheridan  County  combines  the  resources  essential 
as  a  foundation  upon  which  to  make  a  rapid  and  permanent 
development  on  a  sound  basis. 

One  of  the  pleasing  features  is  the  excellent  trout  fishing 
to  be  found  in  all  of  the  twenty-two  streams  flowing  from 
the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  These  streams  were  found  in  early 
days  to  be  the  natural  home  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  trout. 
Of  late  years  most  of  the  streams  have  been  stocked  with 
the  eastern  brook  trout.  The  Big  Horn  Mountains  afford  the 
finest  places  for  summer  camping.  Summer  resorts  have  been 
erected  at  some  of  the  lakes  in  the  mountains  where  the  fishing 
is  the  best,  and  here  one  can  walk  over  great  drifts  of  snow, 
which  never  entirely  disappear. 

The  Burlington  and  Missouri  railroad  has  a  line  travers- 
ing the  entire  length  of  the  county,  and  has  projected  lines  in 
other  directions.  There  are  ten  churches,  numerous  excellent 
schools,  flouring  mills,  brick  yards,  a  brewery  and  a  number  of 
small  manufacturing  concerns. 

The  Town  of  Sheridan  is  the  county  seat  of  this  county, 
charmingly  located  at  the  foot  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
It  has  a  population  of  five  thousand,  and  has  every  improve- 
ment necessary  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  thoroughly  up-to-date 
city  and  has  the  rural  mail  delivery  system.  There  are  eight 
churches,  lodges  of  all  fraternities  and  a  club.  Within  three 
miles  of  the  city  is  situated  Fort  McKenzie,  garrisoned  by 
United  States  troops.  About  twelve  miles  north  of  the  city 
is  the  south  boundary  line  of  the  Crow  Indian  Reservation, 
from  which  Indians  come  to  Sheridan  in  large  numbers  to 
trade.  At  Sheridan,  also,  is  located  a  State  Hospital. 

This  county  is  one  of  the  best  agriculturally  developed 
counties  in  the  state,  and  is  a  splendid  example  of  what  will 
shortly  be  done  in  this  line  in  other  counties. 

The  United  States  land  ofHce  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Buffalo. 


COUNTY.  39 


Sweetwater  County. 

This  was  originally  called  Carter  County,  after  a  pioneer, 
Judge  Carter,  when  a  part  of  Dakota,  but  upon  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  in  1869,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Sweetwater,  after  the  Sweetwater  River,  which 
was  so  named  by  General  Ashley  in  1823. 

The  chief  industries  are  coal  mining  and  stock  raising. 

In  the  year  1904  the  total  assessed  value  of  property  in 
the  county  was  $4,072,054.91.  The  total  bonded  indebtedness 
is  $76,700 ;  the  rate  of  taxation,  20  mills. 

Green  River,  the  county  seat  of  Sweetwater  County,  has 
a  population  of  about  i,.2OO,  and  is  essentially  a  railroad  town, 
being  a  division  point  on  the  Union  Pacific.  Extensive  repair 
shops  are  operated  here  by  the  railroad  company.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  devoted  largely  to  the  grazing  of  sheep 
and  other  live  stock.  A  system  of  waterworks  has  been  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  nearly  half  a  million  dollars,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  pumping  water  from  Green  River  to  Rock  Springs,  a 
distance  of  eighteen  miles,  where  extensive  coal  mining  opera- 
tions are  carried  on  by  the  Union  Pacific.  Large  quantities 
of  ice  are  annually  stored  at  Green  River,  and  during  the 
summer  season  between  four  and  five  hundred  thousand  rail- 
road ties  and  mine  props  are  floated  down  the  river  and 
distributed  at  this  point.  A  saw  mill  is  maintained  for  the 
manufacture  of  rough  lumber. 

The  most  promising  industry  in  Green  River,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  is  the  production  of  sal  soda,  which  is  likely  to 
assume  vast  proportions  in  a  short  time.  Several  wells  have 
been  sunk  on  the  bottoms  of  Green  River,  that  yield  an  in- 
exhaustible supply  of  water  containing  an  average  of  twenty- 
five  per  cent  of  soda  crystals,  or,  in  other  words,  twenty-five 
pounds  of  sal  soda  to  every  one  hundred  pounds  of  water. 
The  development  of  this  industry  at  first  was  very  much 
retarded  by  the  failure  to  secure  freight  rates  that  would  en- 
able the  chemical  company  to  place  their  product  on  the 
market.  A  few  months  ago  rates  were  obtained  that  enables 
this  product  to  compete  at  Missouri  River  points  and  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  The  result  was  that  in  September  last  the  com- 
pany shipped  150  tons  of  sal  soda,  which  had  a  market  value 
at  Omaha  of  $24  per  ton.  Wyoming  sal  soda  is  superior  to 
that  manufactured  from  salt,  and  has  been  given  the  prefer- 
ence wherever  installed. 


4o  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Rock  Springs. — Eighteen  miles  distant  on  the  line  of  the 
Union  Pacific  is  located  the  town  of  Rock  Springs.  Here  are 
operated  the  largest  coal  mines  in  the  state.  It  has  a  popula- 
tion of  5,000,  composed  very  largely  of  miners,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  active  business  points  in  Wyoming.  It  is  well  built, 
having  fine  business  blocks,  a  water  system,  electric  light  plant 
and  a  magnificent  $25,000  city  hall.  At  this  point  is  located 
the  Wyoming  General  Hospital,  maintained  by  the  state. 

The  citizenship  of  Rock  Springs  is  cosmopolitan.  Twen- 
ty-five languages  are  spoken,  and  almost  every  important 
country  on  the  face  of  the  earth  is  represented. 

Rock  Springs  is  a  great  wholesaling  point.  Here  is  found 
some  of  the  greatest  stocks  of  merchandise  in  the  state,  and 
the  merchants  push  their  trade  into  the  mining  districts  of 
Central  Wyoming  and  the  cattle  and  sheep  country  lying  in 
all  directions  from  this  enterprising  market. 

Industries. — The  county  is  well  suited  to  sheep  raising, 
and  many  citizens  are  so  engaged.  The  broken  and  diversified 
character  of  the  country,  covered  as  it  is  with  white  sage  and 
nutritious  grasses,  furnishes  just  the  conditions  conducive  to 
the  successful  management  of  that  class  of  live  stock,  450,000 
head  being  run  upon  the  plains. 

The  entire  county  is  underlaid  with  veins  of  coal,  which, 
however,  have  been  more  extensively  developed  at  Rock 
Springs  than  elsewhere,  and  the  term  Rock  Springs  coal  is 
synonymous  throughout  the  west  with  coal  of  exceptional 
quality.  The  output  is  2,000,000  tons  per  annum. 

There  are  vast  areas  of  undeveloped  coal  lands  in  the 
county,  principally  to  the  north  of  the  railroad,  much  of  which 
on  being  prospected  shows  excellent  coal  in  veins  from  three 
to  twelve  feet  thick. 

The  Red  Desert,  lying  in  the  eastern  half  of  Sweetwater 
county  and  the  western  portion  of  Carbon  County,  was  long 
thought  to  be  absolutely  valueless,  but  in  recent  years  it  has 
proved  of  great  worth  as  the  winter  range  of  many  thousands 
of  sheep.  There  are  no  streams  to  provide  water  for  sheep  in 
summer,  but  just  as  soon  as  the  winter  snows  arrive  the  sheep 
thrive  thereon  wonderfully  well  and  the  desert  is  transformed 
into  a  scene  of  animation.  This  range,  aside  from  the  railroad 
lands,  is  without  charge  to  the  flockmaster. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located  at 
Evanston,  except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  eastern  portion 
of  the  countv,  which  are  in  the  Cheyenne  land  office  district. 


m 


UINTA  COUNTY.  41 


Uinta  County 


Uinta  County  was  organized  in  1869,  and  was  named  for 
the  Uintah  Indians.  It  lies  in  the  extreme  western  portion  of 
the  state  and  extends  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Utah  to 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park.  It 
covers  over  15,000  square  miles,  and  much  of  this  vast  area 
is  unentered  government  land.  The  Union  Pacific  railroad 
crosses  the  county  in  its  southern  portion,  and  the  Oregon 
Short  Line  in  the  south  central  portion.  The  elevation  ranges 
from  5,000  to  8,000  feet. 

Topography. — The  county  is  characterized  by  a  charming 
alternation  of  wooded  hill  and  arable  valley,  of  rolling  upland 
pasturage  and  well  drained  meadow.  Some  parts  of  the  county 
are  very  mountainous,  but  broad  extents  of  valleys  and 
plateaus  blend  with  the  hills  in  charming  and  picturesque 
beauty.  The  mountains  are  cut  by  a  number  of  swift  rivers 
running  through  deep  canons,  and  the  valleys  are  threaded 
by  the  numerous  forks  and  tributaries  of  these  rivers.  Fair 
lakes  are  embosomed  in  the  hills  and  feed  great  rivers  and 
streams. 

Streams. — The  rivers  of  the  county  are  the  Bear,  Green, 
Salt  and  Snake.  The  principal  tributaries  of  Bear  River  are 
Black's  Fork,  Twin  Creek  and  Smith's  Fork.  Those  of  the 
Green  are  Horse,  Cottonwood,  the  three  Piney  Creeks,  La 
Barge,  Fontenelle  and  Henry's  Fork  Creeks.  Those  of  the 
Snake  are  Buffalo  Fork,  Gros  Ventre  and  Hoback's  Rivers 
from  the  eastward,  and  John  Day's  and  Salt  Rivers  from  the 
south. 

Besides  the  lakes  and  rivers,  there  are  about  forty  named 
creeks  of  considerable  size  traversing  the  surface  of  the  county. 

Statistics. — Lands  and  improvements  are  assessed  at 
$1,797,666;  total  assessed  valuation  of  all  property,  $5,747»- 
805.31;  rate  of  taxation,  state  and  county,  19  mills;  county 
debt,  $99,500  (bonded)  ;  number  of  schools,  69 ;  teachers,  81 ; 
districts,  21 ;  school  children  between  five  and  seventeen  years, 
4,408;  population,  census  of  1900,  12,223;  present  population, 
about  16,000. 

Principal  Towns. — The  county  seat  is  Evanston ;  popula- 
tion, 2,110.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  Bear  River  Valley; 
has  many  natural  advantages,  and  is  one  of  the  most  progres- 
sive and  attractive  towns  in  the  state.  It  is  the  home  of 


42  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

prosperous  merchants,  cattlemen  and  sheepmen.  Union  Pa- 
cific shops  are  located  here,  and  there  are  two  banks,  two 
newspapers,  five  churches,  commodious  brick  school  house, 
large  court  house  and  jail,  electric  light  plant,  waterworks 
and  three  hotels.  The  State  Insane  Asylum  is  situated  here 
and  also  the  United  States  land  office  for  Evanston  district. 
Diamondville,  Kemmerer,  Cokeville  and  Cumberland  are  the 
principal  towns  on  the  Oregon  Short  Line,  and  are  large  coal 
producers.  The  coal  of  Uinta  County  is  but  slightly  exposed, 
being  largely  covered  by  the  tertiary;  and  it  is  only  where 
recent  erosion  has  occurred  that  the  coal  outcrops.  Owing  to 
this  fact,  it  may  be  years  before  the  full  extent  of  the  coal 
lands  of  Uinta  County  is  thoroughly  known.  The  output  is 
extensively  used  by  the  smelters  of  Montana,  the  railroads 
of  Utah,  Idaho,  Oregon,  California  and  Nebraska,  for  which 
purposes  it  is  admirably  suited. 

Star  Valley,  a  fine  agricultural  section,  125  miles  distant 
from  the  county  seat,  is  traversed  by  Salt  River,  Cottonwood 
Creek,  mountain  streams  and  many  large  canals  and  laterals. 
The  population  is  about  3,000.  The  people,  mostly  Mormons, 
are  thrifty  and  prosperous.  They  raise  timothy  and  alfalfa, 
hay,  oats,  barley  and  winter  wheat,  large  crops  of  potatoes 
and  garden  truck,  and  in  agricultural  wealth  and  splendid 
ranges  for  cattle,  rival  the  people  of  the  southern  end  of  the 
county.  In  this  beautiful  valley  several  creameries  have  been 
established,  and  their  products  have  become  famous  through- 
out the  west.  They  not  only  supply  the  local  demand,  but 
ship  butter  and  cheese  to  Butte,  Anaconda,  Helena  and  the 
cities  and  towns  of  Oregon  and  Washington. 

There  are  many  thousand  acres  of  good  agricultural  land 
open  for  settlement  under  the  homestead  and  desert  entry 
laws  of  the  United  States.  This  land  is  admirably  adapted 
for  the  cultivation  of  hay  and  small  grain  crops,  and  there  is 
an  abundance  of  water  for  irrigation  purposes.  Settlers  would 
be  welcomed,  and  there  are  good  opportunities  for  those  who 
have  a  little  capital,  as  good  land  already  brought  under  cul- 
tivation can  be  purchased  for  from  four  to  ten  dollars  per 
acre.  School,  road  and  mail  facilities  are  already  well  estab- 
lished, and  railroad  communication  is  easy  of  access. 

This  county  has  developed  wonderful  oil  fields.  (See 
article  on  Oil.) 

The  famous  Jackson  Hole  and  Jackson  Lake  lie  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county,  south  of  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park.  Jackson's  Hole  was  named  in  1828  after  David  E. 
Jackson,  a  wealthy  partner  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com- 
pany. Jackson  Hole  is  an  extensive  valley  of  fertile  land  and 


UINTA  COUNTY.  43 

some  good  farms,  and  is  traversed  by  Snake  River  and  num- 
erous creeks.  Prior  to  1871  Jackson  Hole  was  practically 
unknown  to  others  than  the  hardy  trapper  and  prospector, 
and  it  was  not  then  supposed  that  this  great  valley  would 
one  day  become  an  important  part  of  the  body  politic  of  the 
State  of  Wyoming,  and  that  magnificent  farms  and  homes 
would  cover  its  fertile  expanse,  or  the  range  of  the  wild  game, 
in  its  last  retreat  before  the  perpetual  blow  of  the  advance  of 
civilization.  The  soil  of  Jackson  Hole  is  a  rich  sandy  loam, 
and  while  the  principal  crops  produced  are  native  hay  and  tame 
grasses,  vegetables  and  small  fruits  mature  and  are  raised  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  supply  all  local  demand.  All  kinds  of 
cereals  will  mature,  and  while  the  approximate  elevation  of 
the  valley  is  6,200  feet  above  sea  level,  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains protect  it  from  the  killing  winds  and  insure  its  becoming 
one  of  the  future  agricultural  districts  of  the  state.  The  stock 
interests  consist  entirely  of  cattle  and  horses.  Owing  to  the 
location  and  conditions  surrounding  it,  the  valley  is  not  a  good 
place  for  sheep.  Stock  is  generally  fed  and  sheltered  during 
the  more  inclement  part  of  the  winter.  Hay  in  great  quan- 
tities is  raised  and  is  worth  from  $2.50  to  $3.50  per  ton.  A 
ton  of  hay  will  feed  each  head  of  grown  stock.  Ranchmen 
following  the  cattle  business  have  without  exception  become 
well-to-do,  building  large  irrigation  canals,  comfortable  resi- 
dences and  large  barns  for  the  shelter  of  their  stock.  Im- 
provement is  everywhere  evident,  and  for  a  new  community 
Jackson  Hole  has  as  many  valuable  ranch  improvements  as 
any  other  new  community  in  the  state. 

Prospects  have  been  found  that  indicate  that  there  is 
mineral  in  the  vicinity  of  this  valley.  Since  1860  the  bars  on 
the  Snake  River  have  been  worked  for  placer  gold,  and  good 
wages  can  be  and  are  now  obtained  by  sluicing  or  rocking 
the  gravel.  Where  the  gold  comes  from  has  never  been  de- 
termined ;  that  it  is  there  is  beyond  question.  Coal  beds  of 
vast  dimensions  and  superior  quality  lie  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Gros  Ventre  River.  (See  article  on  Game  and  Fish.) 

Soil. — The  soil  is  of  three  distinct  classes :  First,  the 
bottom  or  meadow  lands,  usually  possessing  a  rich,  black  and 
somewhat  heavy  soil,  lying  next  to  the  streams,  always  easily 
irrigated,  and  on  that  account  generally  the  most  desired  by 
settlers;  second,  the  bench  lands,  rising  terrace-like  toward 
the  neighboring  hills,  possessing  as  a  soil  a  warm,  sandy  loam, 
always  easily  drained,  usually  presenting  no  great  obstacle  to 
irrigation,  and  now  being  generally  recognized  as  the  soil 
capable  of  the  widest  range  of  production;  third,  the  high 
bluff  lands,  watered  by  numerous  streams,  usually  too  sandy 


44  THE  STATE  of  WYOMING. 

for  cultivation,  but  naturally  affording  the  most  ample  and 
nutritious  pasturage  for  horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 

Climate. — The  winters  are  not  severe,  and  the  summers 
are  always  temperate.  Clear,  frosty  days,  with  an  occasional 
exceptionally  cold  night ;  usually  severe  weather  in  March ; 
some  very  warm  days  in  summer,  but  always  cool  and  reviv- 
ing breezes  in  the  night. 

Agriculture. — The  production  of  timothy  and  wild  hay, 
alfalfa,  oats,  potatoes,  winter  wheat,  and  in  some  sections 
barley,  occupy  the  whole  attention  of  Uinta  County  farmers. 
Possessing  a  soil  singularly  fertile  and  lasting,  this  county 
offers  exceptional  inducements  to  the  agriculturist,  with  the 
assurance  that  the  waters  will  never  fail,  that  his  crops  will 
never  be  blighted  by  drought,  and  abundant  harvest  will 
surely  follow  seed  time. 

Timber. — Throughout  the  county  timber  is  abundant  on 
the  hill  sides  for  lumber,  fuel  and  mining  purposes.  Yellow 
and  white  pine,  some  cedar  and  spruce,  cottonwood  and  aspen, 
are  the  principal  growths.  Saw  mills  are  in  operation  in  many 
portions  of  the  county,  and  much  lumber  is  produced. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Ev- 
an ston. 


Weston   County. 


Weston  County  was  organized  in  1890,  and  was  named 
after  a  gentleman  of  that  name,  who  was  interested  in  build- 
ing the  Burlington  railroad  through  that  section  of  the  state. 
It  is  100  miles  long  by  forty-eight  miles  wide,  comprising 
3,133,440  acres,  and  has  a  population  of  3,203.  The  total  as- 
sessed valuation  of 'all  kinds  of  property  in  1904  was  $1,862,- 
842.34,  divided  as  follows :  Farm  lands  and  improvements, 
$316,046.36;  town  lots  and  improvements,  $118,301;  cattle, 
$559,337;  horses,  $98,151;  sheep,  $287,894.30.  County  in- 
debtedness, $33,820;  rate  of  taxation,  19%  mills. 

Weston  County,  although  enjoying  an  altitude  between 
4,000  and  5,000  feet  above  the  sea  level  and  possessing  good 
soils,  is  not  so  well  watered  as  other  sections  of  the  state, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  large  streams  having  their  sources 
in  the  lofty  mountains  of  the  snowy  ranges.  The  rainfall, 
however,  is  considerably  greater  than  at  a  higher  altitude, 
averaging  from  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  per  annum.  The 
dark,  loamy  soils,  in  part  of  the  county,  are  quite  productive 


WESTON  COUNTY.  45 

without  irrigation,  and  the  reddish  gypsum  soils  found  at  the 
base  of  table  lands  retain  the  moisture  and  are  very  fertile. 
Precipitation  is  mainly  in  the  spring  and  early  summer,  and 
crops  make  rapid  progress  from  germination  to  maturity. 
Wild  fruits  of  the  smaller  varieties,  such  as  plums,  goose- 
berries, currants  and  strawberries,  grow  plentifully.  All  the 
farm  products  known  in  the  northern  latitudes  are  produced 
in  this  region,  even  Indian  corn,  and  the  yield  is  most  excel- 
lent. Wheat  of  the  spring  varieties  yields  over  fifty  bushels, 
rye  over  forty,  oats  seventy  to  even  one  hundred  bushels,  and 
corn,  of  the  flint,  dent  and  squaw  varieties,  also  makes  good 
returns.  Timothy,  alfalfa,  red  clover  and  other  tame  grasses 
are  cultivated  with  success,  as  are  also  potatoes,  rutabagas, 
turnips,  carrots  and  sugar  beets,  the  last  named  producing  as 
high  as  six  tons  per  acre,  with  twenty  per  cent  of  sugar,  as 
shown  by  analysis.  Stock  growing  makes  an  excellent  ac- 
companiment of  farming  throughout  this  region.  Shorthorn, 
Hereford,  Sussex  and  West  Highlands  cattle  find  favor  for 
the  range.  Horses  also  receive  much  attention  and  are  in- 
creasing in  value.  There  is  good  pine  timber  in  the  Black 
Hills,  and  numerous  saw  mills  supply  the  wants  of  the  settler. 
Gypsum  is  found  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  and  superior 
quality  of  building  stone,  granite  and  lime.  Salt  producing 
springs  have  been  discovered  near  Jenney's  Stockade,  and  an 
oil  district  in  the  same  locality  covers  over  400  square  miles. 
(See  article  on  Oil.)  Weston  County  is  famous  for  its  coal, 
which  finds  a  ready  market  in  the  adjoining  states  of  South 
Dakota  and  Nebraska,  and  along  the  line  of  the  Burlington 
railroad,  which  traverses  the  entire  length  of  the  county,  east 
and  west. 

Newcastle,  the  county  seat,  is  a  thriving  town.  The  first 
building  was  erected  in  September,  1889,  the  Burlington  rail- 
road having  reached  that  point  in  the  previous  month.  After 
the  discovery  of  coal  the  population  grew  very  rapidly,  and 
in  1900  was  756.  In  1890  extensive  waterworks  were  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  over  $100,000  by  the  Cambria  Mining 
Company,  which  furnishes  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for 
Newcastle,  Cambria  and  the  great  coal  mines.  A  $6,000  town 
hall  and  $12,000  school  building  have  been  erected.  Within 
the  immediate  vicinity  are  several  oil  wells,  the  first  discovery 
being  made  fifteen  years  ago.  Salt  wells  have  been  opened  in 
the  vicinity  of  Newcastle,  and  promise  to  develop  into  a  large 
and  profitable  industry.  All  lines  of  business  are  well  repre- 
sented and  prosperous. 

Cambria  is  a  coal  mining  town,  the  population  being 
actively  engaged  in  that  industry.  The  quality  of  coal  mined 


46  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

is  excellent,  and  is  described  elsewhere  in  this  publication. 
Modern  equipment  and  methods  are  the  characteristics  of  the 
mining  plant.  The  coal  here  is  of  a  coking  quality,  and  coke 
ovens  are  in  operation.  The  population  of  the  Cambria  dis- 
trict is  962. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Sundance. 


Yellowstone    National  Park, 

The  Wonderland  of  America. 


If  all  the  other  resources  of  Wyoming  could  fail,  it  would 
still  be  known  to  the  world  through  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park. 

The  park  was  discovered  by  John  Colter  in  1807,  but  its 
final  disclosure  to  the  world  was  the  work  of  three  exploring 
parties  in  the  years  1869,  1870  and  1871.  It  was  finally  re- 
served as  a  national  park  by  act  of  Congress  in  1872.  It  lies 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  Wyoming ;  is  sixty-two  miles  long 
by  fifty-four  miles  wide.  Its  government  and  control  is  under 
the  special  authority  of  the  federal  government. 

The  scenery  of  the  park  is  not  equaled  by  anything  in  the 
world.  It  is  too  grand,  its  scope  too  immense,  its  details  too 
varied  and  minute,  to  admit  of  even  an  attempt  at  its  descrip- 
tion within  these  pages,  for  nearly  every  form,  animate  or 
inanimate,  in  dream  or  fancy,  ever  seen  or  conjured  by  the 
imagination,  may  here  be  seen.  Its  colors  and  blended  tints 
baffle  the  artist's  brush,  and  language  is  inadequate  for  its 
portrayal.  It  is  here  in  this  vast  solitude  that  one  stands  in 
silent  awe  and  hears  the  deep  diapason  of  nature's  mightiest 
and  most  mysterious  anthem  as  it  swells  in  thunder  tones  or 
sinks  into  sweetest,  softest  melodies.  Here,  too,  is  found 
much  that  is  chastely  beautiful,  hidden -away  in  some  dim- 
lighted  alcove  or  bower,  while  all  about  is  the  grim-visaged 
and  towering  strength  of  the  silent  mountain  sentinel.  The 
eye  is  never  weary,  for  the  scene  is  ever  shifting,  ever  becom- 
ing more  and  more  grand,  imposing  and  impressive. 

Placed  as  it  is  upon  the  very  apex  of  the  continent,  its 
seasons  are  "July,  August  and  Winter."  In  the  summer,  July 
and  August,  the  long-imprisoned  vegetation  bursts  into  full 
life  and  beauty,  and  in  this  short  period  occur  the  changes 
which  require  months  in  lower  altitudes.  The  average  snow- 
fall, from  November  to  April,  is  ten  feet. 


YELLOWSTONE;  NATIONAL  PARK.  47 

The  tourist  season  lasts  from  June  until  October,  and 
nowhere  can  be  found  a  more  delightful  summer  climate. 
Every  year  shows  an  increase  in  the  tourist  travel  to  this 
region,  which  the  government  so  wisely  controls  and  protects 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  public.  The  park  can  be  reached  by 
wagon  routes,  which  make  very  pleasant  camping  trips 
through  beautiful  and  diversified  scenic  country.  Probably 
the  most  picturesque  route  is  from  Cody  on  the  Burlington 
and  Missouri  railroad,  from  which  point  a  new  road  has 
been  constructed  by  the  government.  This  trip  is  fifty  miles 
long,  and  can  be  made  on  splendid  tally-ho  coaches  managed 
by  Colonel  Cody  (Buffalo  Bill).  Tourists  can  stop  over  mid- 
way and  rest  and  fish  for  the  speckled  trout,  and  also  make 
side  trips  into  the  famous  Jackson  Hole  country.  The  scenery 
on  this  route  equals,  if  it  does  not  surpass,  anything  in  the 
Alps.  Guides  and  camping  outfits  can  be  obtained  at  Cody. 
This  makes  a  very  pleasant  method  of  seeing  the  park. 

The  park  can  also  be  reached  from  Rawlins  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  through  the  Shoshone  Indian  Reservation; 
also  from  Casper  on  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Val- 
ley railroad  through  the  Indian  Reservation.  By  wagon  this 
makes  a  delightful  trip,  passing  nearly  all  the  way  through  a 
country  of  wonderful  scenery  and  abounding  in  game  and 
fish.  The  government  has  expended  $40,000  in  making  this 
route  an  enjoyable  one  for  the  park  visitor. 

Many  visitors  choose  a  northern  entrance,  coming  by  way 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  to  Livingstone  on  the  main  line ; 
thence  a  branch  road  fifty  miles  long  drops  almost  directly 
south  to  Cinnabar,  Montana,  eight  miles  from  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs,  Wyoming,  and  Fort  Yellowstone,  where  the  itinerary 
of  the  tourist  choosing  this  route  commences. 

The  trip  as  planned  by  the  Yellowstone  Park  Transporta- 
tion Company  occupies  five  days,  and  includes  the  main  points 
of  interest,  but  each  hotel  may  become  the  center  of  enjoyable 
side  trips,  if  the  visitor  has  time  and  means  to  tarry. 

The  Union  Pacific  and  its  branch,  the  Oregon  Short  Line, 
bring  the  travel  to  Monida,  a  station  on  the  boundary  of 
Montana  and  Idaho.  Here  he  exchanges  the  Pullman  for  the 
modern  Concord  coach,  which  the  Monida  and  Yellowstone 
Stage  Company  has  in  readiness  for  him.  Although  a  day's 
ride  from  the  boundary  of  the  park,  a  tourist  is  seldom  found 
who  cares  to  forget  that  first  day's  coaching.  The  invig- 
orating air,  the  ever-changing  view  of  mountain  and  lake, 
good  horses,  a  good  driver  and  good  meals  at  every  station, 
combine  to  drive  into  the  background  the  cares  of  his  worka- 
day life.  This  route  connects  with  the  belt  line  at  the  Foun- 
tain Hotel  in  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin. 


48  THK  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

All  stage  lines  are  equipped  with  the  best  and  most  mod- 
ern coaches.  Necessary  hand  baggage  is  carried,  and  trunks 
are  stored  free  of  charge.  Parties  coming  in  by  one  route  and 
desiring  to  leave  by  the  other  may  have  their  baggage  trans- 
ferred without  cost. 

Hotel  rates  are  four  dollars  per  day.  There  are  four 
modern  hotels,  with  electric  light,  baths  and  telegraphic  com- 
munication with  all  parts  of  the  world.  These  are  so  situated 
that  coaches  reach  them  before  an  early  dinner  hour  and  leave 
after  breakfast.  The  midday  meal  is  procured  at  lunch  sta- 
tions conveniently  placed  between  the  hotels. 

The  Wylie  Camping  Company  furnishes  still  another  way 
of  doing  the  park.  It  stands  in  about  the  same  relation  to  the 
two  just  described  that  an  accommodation  train  does  to  the 
Pullman  flyer.  One  travels  the  same  road  and  has  the  same 
views,  but  from  a  two-horse  spring  wagon  instead  of.  a  four- 
horse  Concord  coach.  He  sleeps  in  a  tent,  dines  from  a  camp 
table,  and  pays  thirty-five  dollars  for  his  week  in  the  park. 

Last  of  all  comes  the  independent  camper,  who  cooks  his 
meals  in  the  geyser  wrells,  finds  plenty  of  suitable  camping 
places,  and  may  have  a  very  good  time  with  small  expense,  if 
he  is  careful  to  quench  his  camp  fire,  and  keeps  his  dog  tied 
under  the  wagon,  or,  better  still,  leaves  him  at  home. 

The  government  has  spent  $40,000  in  the  construction  of 
wagon  roads  leading  from  the  south  and  east;  the  former 
from  Fort  Washakie  to  Jackson  Lake,  directly  south  of  the 
park.  From  this  point  a  good  road  connects  with  the  belt  line 
at  Yellowstone  Lake.  The  traveler  taking  this  route  passes 
within  the  shadow  of  the  Grand  Teton  and  along  the  margin 
of  Jackson  Lake,  a  combination  of  water  and  mountain  scenery 
unsurpassed  for  grandeur  and  beauty. 

As  the  United  States  has  sole  and  exclusive  jurisdiction 
over  the  park,  its  protection  and  improvement  are  under  the 
direction  of  government  officers.  Fort  Yellowstone,  located 
at  Mammouth  Hot  Springs,  is  a  two-troop  cavalry  post.  The 
commanding  officer  is  the  acting  superintendent  of  the  park. 
The  United  States  Commissioner,  who  has  civil  jurisdiction 
of  all  crimes  and  offenses  committed  within  the  park,  is  sta- 
tioned here.  There  are  also  ten  outposts  throughout  the  park, 
at  each  of  which  are  stationed  a  non-commissioned  officer  and 
a  small  squad  of  men,  who  patrol  the  entire  area  of  the  park 
both  summer  and  winter. 

All  roads  are  constructed  and  kept  in  repair  at  the  expense 
of  the  government.  The  road  leading  south  from  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs  at  Norris  Geyser  Basin,  twenty  miles  from  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs,  intersects  the  belt  line,  which  describes  a 


m 


Two  WYOMING  INDIAN  CHIEFS  OF  RENOWN. 


.  I 


LIVE  STOCK.  49 

circle  of  one  hundred  miles,  and  upon  which  is  situated  nearly 
all  the  most  prominent  points  of  interest.  Twenty  miles  of 
the  one  hundred  can  be  covered  by  steamer  across  Yellowstone 
Lake,  if  the  traveler  so  elects,  for  an  extra  fare  of  three  dollars. 
The  English  language  is  rich  in  adjectives,  and  all  have 
been  brought  into  service,  but  failed  to  picture  the  park.  In 
spite  of  the  attempts  of  the  word  painter,  it  has  not  been  de- 
scribed. Each  one  must  see  for  himself  to  appreciate  the 
generosity  of  Mother  Nature,  who  has  planned  entertainment 
for  every  mood  of  every  character.  The  poet  may  find  his 
theme,  the  artist  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  studies,  the 
scientist  a  rich  field  for  work.  The  lover  of  the  grotesque 
will  linger  in  the  hoodoos.  The  mud  geyser  will  satisfy  a 
craving  for  the  horrible.  Spluttering  pools  and  boiling  springs 
will  testify  that  the  stokers  of  the  lower  regions  are  never  off 
duty.  The  geysers  bear  a  family  resemblance  to  one  another, 
but  each  has  an  individuality  in  cone  and  action.  The  Grand 
Canon,  with  its  many-hued  walls,  might  alone  invite  the  world 
to  be  its  guest.  Fish  are  waiting  to  be  caught,  but  deer  and 
other  game  seem  to  realize  that  they  are  the  wards  of  the 
government,  and  only  pose  for  the  admiration  or  the  camera 
of  the  visitor.  Bears  never  fail  to  furnish  the  after  dinner 
amusement  at  the  hotels. 


Live  Stock. 


The  live  stock  industry  of  Wyoming,  which  for  a  long 
time  was  its  only  industry,  has  a  history  as  varied  and  romantic 
as  a  Sixteenth  Century  tale.  When  the  country  now  com- 
prised in  this  state  was  first  discovered  a  luxuriant  grass 
covered  the  prairies,  upon  which  nothing  but  buffalo  and 
.wild  game  grazed.  Her  first  herds  were  gathered  and  reared 
by  men  who  preceded  the  first  attempts  at  actual  settlement  of 
the  territory.  Lying  in  the  pathway  of  that  great  migration 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  which  began  in  the  middle  of  the  past 
century,  her  territory  was  necessarily  traversed  by  countless 
long  trains  of  ox  teams,  many  of  which,  through  accident  or 
disease,  were  destined  never  to  reach  their  journey's  end. 
Sick,  injured,  footsore  and  poor,  these  animals  were  abandoned 
to  live  as  best  they  might,  or  become  a  prey  for  the  wild  ani- 
mals of  mountain  and  plain.  That  many  of  them  lived  through 
the  winter  following  and  were  fat  enough  for  beef  in  the  early 
springtime  proved  a  revelation  to  the  man  accustomed  to  long 


50  THE:  STATS  OF  WYOMING. 

and  expensive  winter  feeding,  and  forced  his  attention  to  the 
fact  that  our  mountain  grasses  must  possess  nutritious  qual- 
ities of  marvelous  worth.  To  raise  cattle,  horses  and  sheep 
was,  for  our  earliest  settlers,  an  easy  matter,  but  to  keep  them 
was  quite  a  different  proposition,  for  the  Indian  had  little 
respect  for  the  rights  of  ownership,  and  no  horse  was  safe 
beyond  the  reach  of  a  bullet  from  his  owner's  trusty  rifle. 
When  the  white  man  came  to  stay  he  brought  vast  herds  of 
cattle  that  thrived  on  the  strong  and  nutritious  grasses  of  the 
open  range.  Fast  following  these  early  days  of  settlement, 
of  danger  and  accumulation,  came  the  "boom"  in  the  cattle 
business  during  the  '8os,  marked  by  the  investment  of  millions 
of  dollars  by  men  who  knew  nothing  of  the  business  in  which 
they  so  recklessly  embarked.  The  period  of  unwarranted 
speculation,  fancy  prices  and  extravagant  waste  was  of  short 
duration,  and,  naturally  enough,  was  followed  by  rapid  de- 
pression of  prices  and  the  consequent  failures  of  the  inex- 
perienced. 

Following  this  appeared  the  ranchmen  of  moderate  means, 
having  smaller  herds  of  cattle,  who  had  learned  from  bitter 
experience  that  feed  must  be  provided  for  severe  winters. 
Thus  ranches  were  settled  and  irrigated — alfalfa,  hay  and 
other  feed  provided — rendering  the  business  that  was  formerly 
so  precarious  a  safe  and  steady  avocation,  and  one  that  is 
rapidly  giving  our  people  wealth  and  independence. 

The  live  stock  industry  has  been  the  most  remunerative 
business  of  this  section  of  the  west ;  mining  and  agriculture 
are  fast  becoming  close  competitors.  As  to  which  branch  of 
the  business — cattle,  sheep  or  horses — one  should  adopt,  no 
advice  can  be  given.  One  should  follow  that  for  which  he  is 
best  adapted.  Large  fortunes  and  many  comfortable  com- 
petencies have  been  and  are  being  made  in  each  branch. 

CATTLE. 

This  great  industry,  combined  with  farming,  offers  splen- 
did opportunities  for  profitable  investment.  Today  cattle  are 
successfully  grown  in  every  section  of  the  state. 

We  still  have  forty  million  acres  of  free  government 
range  upon  which  our  farmers  graze  their  herds,  and  doubt- 
less over  half  the  cattle  in  Wyoming  are  run  on  this  open 
range  during  the  entire  year;  although  our  stock  growers 
generally  appreciate  the  importance  of  winter  feeding  and 
are  rapidly  increasing  hay  and  grain  production. 

Wyoming  can  grow  better  beef  at  less  cost  than  almost 
any  other  section,  for  the  reason  that  land  values  are  very 
low  as  compared  with  other  states.  And  there  is  ample  free 


LIVE:  STOCK.  51 

range  upon  which  the  cattle  graze  over  half  the  year;  more- 
over, alfalfa,  hay  and  oats  combined  form  a  perfect  ration 
for  the  correct  and  complete  development  of  bone,  muscle 
and  flesh,  while  our  natural  buffalo  grass  and  bluestem  hay 
excel  the  famous  bluegrass  of  Kentucky.  Under  irrigation, 
these  can  be  quickly  and  cheaply  grown,  while  our  cloudless 
summer  skies  permit  us  to  harvest  these  crops  so  as  to  retain 
all  nutritive  properties. 

Blood  and  feed,  combined  with  ideal  natural  conditions, 
in  a  land  where  disease  is  unknown,  enable  us  to  defy  the 
world  in  breeding  live  stock.  Our  winters  are  dry  and  mild, 
and  in  most  sections  cattle  graze  in  the  open  fields  during 
the  entire  season. 

All  "beef"  breeds  do  well  and  show  marked  improve- 
ment in  this  high  altitude.  Many  pedigreed  herds  could  be 
established  here  successfully,  while  experiments  made  by  our 
more  progressive  ranchmen  have  demonstrated  conclusively 
that  steers  can  be  hay-fed  and  matured  during  the  winter 
with  great  profit. 

Dairying  is  also  a  paying  branch  of  the  cattle  industry. 

SHEEP. 

Since  1883  the  sheep  industry  has  grown  enormously,  and 
many  heretofore  poor  men  have  become  rich,  some  owning  as 
many  as  65,000  head.  Sheep  are  grazed  in  the  mountains  in 
the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  upon  the  plains,  where  they 
find  the  cured  grass,  as  Nature  provides  it,  together  with  the 
browse  furnished  by  the  sage  brush.  A  sheep  man  needs  no 
ranch  and  makes  no  preparations  in  the  way  of  harvested  feed 
for  the  winter,  but,  like  Abraham  of  old,  movies  about  with 
his  flocks,  in  the  summer  living  in  tents  in  the  cool  shades  of 
the  mountains,  and  in  winter  in  a  "sheep  wagon,"  which  is 
fully  equipped  with  spring  bed,  stove  and  kitchen  outfit. 
Sheep  are  subject  to  no  disease  except  scab,  which  is  easily 
cured.  The  wool,  at  fifteen  cents  per  pound,  a  little  more 
than  pays  all  the  cost  of  running  the  sheep  a  year,  so  that 
the  increase  and  mutton  are  the  accumulated  net  profit. 

Wyoming  leads  all  the  western  states  and  territories  in 
the  price  per  head  of  its  sheep,  and  leads  every  state  in  the 
Union  in  total  value  of  its  sheep,  the  number  and  value  of  its 
lambs,  and  the  amount  and  value  of  its  wool  clip,  and  the 
average  weight  of  fleece  prqduced. 

As  the  sheep  have  multiplied  and  the  free  range  dimin- 
ished through  settlement  and  segregation,  our  flockmasters 
have  been  keenly  alive  to  the  importance  of  improving  the 
quality  of  the  wool  and  the  necessity  of  early  maturity  in 
mutton  ;  hence  we  now  find  the  lambs  going  to  market  in 


52  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

an  ever-increasing  flood,  while  winter  feeding  of  lambs  is 
rapidly  becoming  an  important  branch  of  the  sheep  industry. 
Lambs  are  fed  on  alfalfa  hay,  together  with  grain  of  some 
sort  or  peas,  and  in  one  hundred  days  of  winter  feeding  made 
to  weigh  eighty  to  ninety  pounds.  Mutton  so  produced  is 
considered  by  epicures  the  best  in  the  market.  Sheep  on  the 
open  range  seem  to  stand  more  severe  winter  weather  than 
cattle.  Nevertheless,  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  few  years  until 
our  flockmasters  must  expect  to  feed  some  hay  or  grain  dur- 
ing the  winter.  Fortunately,  the  great  government  irrigation 
projects  now  under  way  will  doubtless  be  completed  in  time 
to  supply  this  growing  demand. 

HORSES. 

It  has  been  proven  beyond  question  that  horses  raised  on 
the  foothills  and  mountains,  in  the  pure  light  air  of  an  eleva- 
tion of  from  5,000  to  10,000  feet,  have  better  lungs,  stronger 
and  better  developed  bone  and  muscle,  and  tougher  hoofs, 
than  horses  from  any  other  country.'  This  is  borne  out  by 
the  fact  that  not  only  the  United  States  Government,  during 
the  Spanish  war  and  since,  but  the  English  Government,  for 
service  in  South  Africa,  have  purchased  as  many  thousand 
head  of  horses  in  Wyoming  as  could  be  obtained. 

No  horse  in  the  world  can  compete  with  the  Wyoming 
horse  in  endurance  of  all  kinds  of  hardship  to  which  horse 
flesh  is  subjected  by  man.  This  is  a  broad  statement,  but  we 
make  it  without  fear  of  refutation ;  every  horseman  and  horse 
in  the  state  stands  ready  to  back  it  up. 

Embracing  about  98,000  square  miles  of  territory,  nearly 
every  acre  of  which  is  clothed  in  a  mantle  of  the  most  nutri- 
tious grasses  'and  sage  brush  browse,  Wyoming  presents  a 
territory  for  grazing  purposes  40  per  cent  larger  than  is  found 
in  all  the  eastern  states  combined.  Add  to  this  vast  food 
supply  the  most  delightful  climate  in  the  world,  with  cool 
summers  and  dry,  mild  winters,  and  it  is  but  little  wonder 
that  Wyoming  has  been  called  the  "Stockman's  Paradise," 
and  that  it  has  become  an  important  factor  in  supplying  beef, 
mutton  and  wool  to  the  eastern  and  western  markets. 

The  requisites  for  success  in  the  business  are  a  few  cattle, 
sheep  or  horses,  and  attention  to  their  wants  under  the  con- 
ditions of  the  country  and  climate.  The  man  who  can  do  this 
for  a  few  years  will,  with  common  prudence,  find  himself 
independent  of  the  world,  and  his  old  age  may  be  spent  in 
peace  and  with  plenty. 

The  cut  on  opposite  page  is  a  picture  of  "Wyoming,"  the 
horse  presented  by  the  City  of  Douglas  to  President  Roose- 
velt when  he  made  his  famous  sixty-mile  ride  during  his  visit 
to  the  state  in  May,  1903. 


LIVE  STOCK. 


53 


"Wyoming/*  the  Horse  Presented  to  President  Roosevelt. 

This  horse,  taken  from  the  range,  is  a  marvel  of  equine 
intelligence,  is  possessed  of  five  different  gaits,  and  is  a  swift 
and  easy  traveler.  The  horse  is  now  in  the  White  House 
stables  in  Washington. 

Wyoming  horses  are  unexcelled. 

SWINE. 

Swine  do  remarkably  well  in  our  state,  hog  cholera  being 
unknown,  and  it  is  said  that  young  shoats  born  in  our  high 
altitude  are  not  liable  to  contract  the  disease  when  shipped 
east  to  be  finished  on  corn.  Swine  do  well  the  year  round  on 
alfalfa.  In  the  summer  they  are  turned  in  to  the  green  alfalfa 
fields  and  in  the  winter  fed  on  the  dry  hay.  The  best  of  pork 
can  be  produced  very  cheaply  on  a  combination  feed  of 
alfalfa,  roots,  small  grain  or  peas. 

Today  Wyoming  imports  a  large  proportion  of  the  salt 
pork,  bacon  and  ham  consumed  by  her  citizens,  amounting 
to  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  each  year.  The  freight 
rate  from  the  eastern  market  is  very  high,  and  this  meat 
could  be  produced  in  Wyoming  with  great  profit. 


54  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


Public  Lands  and  Irrigation  Projects 

And  the  Laws  Under  Which  They  Are 
Being  Administered. 


GOVERNMENT  RECLAMATION   SERVICE. 

In  the  arid  states  the  people  are  of  the  opinion  that  they 
will  derive  greater  benefit  during  the  next  decade  through 
the  operation  of  the  act  of  Congress  approved  June  17,  1902, 
than  through  all  other  agricultural  channels.  Wyoming 
takes  particular  pride  in  this  act,  for  the  reason  that  its  con- 
gressional delegation  was  the  great  moving  force  in  securing 
its  enactment.  In  season  and  out  of  season  its  representa- 
tives in  the  halls  of  Congress  have  advocated  the  reclamation 
of  the  arid  lands  of  the  mountain  states,  and  the  reclamation 
act  is  the  result  of  their  tireless  efforts. 

Under  this  law  all  the  moneys  received  from  the  sale 
of  public  lands  goes  into  a  fund  for  the  building  of  reservoirs 
and  canals  for  the  storage  of  water  and  the  irrigation  of 
lands.  More  than  twenty-seven  millions  of  dollars  have 
already  been  placed  to  the  credit  of  this  fund,  and  numerous 
projects  have  been  entered  upon  by  the  Geological  Survey, 
the  Bureau  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior  having  direct 
charge  of  the  work. 

Wyoming  has  not  been  neglected.  For  two  big  enter- 
prises, the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  has  set  aside  $3,250,000 — 
$2,250,000  for  the  Shoshone  project  and  $1,000,000  for  the 
North  Platte  project.  For  the  information  in  this  chapter 
relating  to  these  projects,  we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  John  E. 
Field,  engineer  in  charge  of  the  reclamation  work  on  the 
North  Platte  River,  and  Mr.  Jeremiah  Ahern,  engineer  in 
charge  of  the  work  on  the  Shoshone  River. 

It  may  be  safely  stated  that  there  will  be  expended  in 
this  state  by  the  federal  government  during  the  next  decade 
fully  ten  millions  of  dollars.  This  vast  sum  will  mean  great 
prosperity  to  many  people.  The  men  who  will  take  up  the 
land  under  the  big  reservoirs  and  canals  will  undoubtedly 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  perform  a  great  deal  of  the  work 
in  constructing  the  dams  and  ditches.  In  this  way  they 
will  be  enabled  to  maintain  themselves  during  the  entire 
building  period,  and  at  the  same  time  they  will  find  oppor- 
tunity to  improve  their  homesteads. 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  55 


NORTH  PLATTE  PROJECT. 

This  project  contemplates,  first,  the  building  of  the  res- 
ervoir on  the  North  Platte  River,  fifty  miles  above  the  town 
of  Casper.  The  river  will  be  dammed  at  a  point  three  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Sweetwater,  the  location  being  a 
granite  canon,  about  200  feet  deep,  80  feet  at  the  bottom  and 
175  feet  at  the  top.  The  dam  will  be  of  masonry,  and  the 
area  covered  about  22,000  acres,  the  capacity  being  one 
million  acre  feet.  The  entire  flow  of  the  Platte  River  at  this 
point  passes  through  the  reservoir  and  can  be  stored.  The 
stored  water  will  be  turned  loose  and  allowed  to  run  down 
the  river  to  the  headgates  of  the  several  ditches  under  con- 
templation, thus  giving  assurance  of  an  ample  supply'  of  water 
at  all  times. 

The  Chicago  and  Northwestern  railway  reaches  Casper 
from  the  east,  which  line  may  be  reached  over  the  Colorado 
and  Southern  railway  from  Cheyenne. 

The  wasteway  will  be  over  the  granite  ridge  at  both 
ends  of  the  dam,  no  water  being  allowed  to  flow  over  the 
dam.  Power  may  be  developed  here  whenever  necessary. 
The  elevation  of  the  reservoir  is  about  5,800  feet  above  sea 
level. 

Canals. 

The  first  canal,  contemplated  below  the  reservoir,  heads 
about  eight  miles  above  the  town  of  Casper,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  and  extends  easterly  to  a  point  about  opposite 
Douglas,  Wyo.  The  amount  of  land  under  the  canal  is  about 
30,000  acres.  Preliminary  surveys  and  estimates  only  have 
been  made.  These  estimates  show  that  the  cost  of  reclama- 
tion will  probably  exceed  $25  per  acre.  Most  of  the  land  is 
in  private  ownership.  The  second  canal  is  on  the  north  side 
of  the  river,  heading  about  opposite  Glenrock  and  extending 
to  Orin.  It  controls  about  20,000  acres.  The  cost  will  prob- 
ably be  in  excess  of  $25.  Most  of  this  land  is  in  private 
ownership.  Preliminary  surveys  only  have  been  made. 

The  Groshen  Hole  Canal  heads  at  the  town  of  Guernsey, 
where  a  diversion  dam  100  feet  high  is  necessary.  The  length 
of  the  canal  will  be  about  140  miles,  of  which  six  miles  are 
in  tunnel.  The  area  of  land  covered  is  about  150,000  acres, 
a  large  part  being  public  land.  The  cost  of  reclamation  has 
not  been  definitely  determined,  but  it  will  probably  be  in  the 
neighborhood  of  $35  per  acre.  The  feasibility  of  the  canal 
has  not  yet  been  passed  upon,  further  investigation  being 
necessary. 


56  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Fort  Laramie  Canal,  heading  about  eight  miles  above  old 
Fort  Laramie,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  covers  some 
50,000  acres,  about  equally  divided  between  Wyoming  and 
Nebraska.  Twenty-five  thousand  acres  are  included  in  the 
estimate  of  the  150,000  acres  under  the  Goshen  Hole  Canal. 
Preliminary  surveys  only  have  been  made,  but  the  indica- 
tions are  that  the  project  is  feasible. 

The  Interstate  Canal  heads  at  the  same  point  as  the  Fort 
Laramie  Canal,  namely  eight  miles  above  old  Fort  Laramie. 
There  will  be  a  diversion  dam  of  concrete,  300  feet  long, 
raising  water  ten  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river.  This  canal 
will  be  an  enlargement  of  the  Whalen  Falls  Canal.  About 
20,000  acres  lying  under  the  canal  will  be  irrigated  by  the 
Whalen  Falls'  Canal  Company.  It  is  expected  that  the  water 
will-  be  available  for  this  land  in  the  summer  of  1906.  Con- 
tracts for  the  first  forty-five  miles  of  this  canal  were  let  May 
16.  This  first  forty-five  miles  carries  the  canal  nearly  to  the 
state  line,  and  it  is  expected  that  the  contract  for  the  next 
fifty  miles  of  canal  will  cover  some  10,000  acres  in  Wyoming 
and  some  50,000  acres  in  Nebraska,  almost  all  of  which  is 
public  land.  The  canal,  wrhen  completed,  will  cover  probably 
100,000  acres  of  land,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  extend  as 
far  east  as  Bridgeport.  The  cost  per  acre  will  probably  not 
exceed  $35.  The  Whalen  Falls  Canal  has  a  priority  calling 
for  280  cubic  feet  per  second  of  water,  but  has  no  reservoir 
right.  It  is  proposed  to  build-  all  the  laterals  from  the  main 
canal,  reaching  practically  every  farm  area.  These  farm  areas 
will  probably  consist  of  eighty  acres  of  good  arable  land,  the 
homestead  entry  being  limited  to  that  amount.  It  is  also 
proposed  to  build  other  canals  on  both  sides  of  the  river  in 
Nebraska,  probably  by  the  extension  of  existing  canals.  This 
matter  has  not  been  investigated,  but  it  is  hoped  to  bring 
50,000  acres  more  under  cultivation  by  this  means.  The  area 
to  be  irrigated,  especially  that  in  Nebraska  and  in  the  Goshen 
Hole,  is  comparable  with  land  in  and  about  Greeley,  Colo. 
The  elevation  is  about  4,000  feet  and  the  rainfall  about  thirteen 
inches  per  annum.  The  character  of  the  soil  is  a  sandy  loam, 
with  little  alkali  and  little  adobe.  The  Burlington  railroad 
runs  the  entire  length  of  the  Goshen  Hole  and  Interstate  Canal 
lands.  It  is  some  500  miles  from  Omaha  and  some  250  miles 
from  Denver.  The  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  northwest, 
the  maximum  velocity  for  1903  being  forty-five  miles  per 
hour.  The  mean  temperature  was  about  45°,  with  a  maximum 
of  98°  and  a  minimum  of  20°.  Humidity,  66%.  The  evapo- 
ration over  the  area  to  be  irrigated  is  about  the  same  as  for 
Eastern  Colorado.  Corn  is  successfully  grown,  frosts  seldom 
interfering  with  its  maturing. 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  57 

Agricultural  Possibilities. — The  value  of  the  non-irrigable 
land  is  from  one  to  five  dollars  per  acre.  The  value  of  irri- 
gated land  from  forty  to  seventy  dollars  per  acre.  Alfalfa  is 
the  principal  crop  of  the  region,  though  oats  of  superior  qual- 
ity are  grown  extensively.  Throughout  the  district  in  Ne- 
braska and  the  Goshen  Hole  sugar  beets  and  potatoes  will 
form  the  principal  crop  for  intensified  cultivation.  The  crops 
are  about  as  follows : 

Alfalfa,  three  crops,  four  to  six  tons  per  acre. 

Sugar  beets  average  about  fifteen  tons  per  acre. 

Potatoes,  200  bushels. 

Oats,  60  bushels. 
.    Corn,  40  bushels. 

Wheat,  35  bushels. 

The  domestic  water  supply  is  good,  water  being  obtain- 
able at  almost  any  point  by  wells  200  feet  or  less  in  depth. 
Sugar  beet  and  starch  factories  will  probably  be  built  when 
the  district  is  settled.  The  ranges  surrounding  the  district 
will  furnish  sheep  and  cattle  to  be  fed  on  the  farm  products. 
Good  grazing  land  lies  to  the  north,  south  and  west  of  the 
district.  The  fuel  supply  is  obtained  from  Northern  Colorado 
and  from  Sheridan  and  Hanna,  Wyo.  Coal  sells  from  five 
to  seven  dollars  per  ton. 

Markets. — Agricultural  products  will  probably  find  their 
best  markets  to  the  west  for  feeding  in  winter.  The  price 
of  alfalfa  per  ton  during  the  last  year  was  $4;  potatoes,  40 
cents  per  bushel.  This  was  very  low,  due  to  the  big  yield  in 
other  sections.  Beets  should  bring  $5  per  ton  and  wild  hay 
$12.  Oats  sold  for  $i  per  cwt.  The  market  for  cattle  and 
sheep  would  be  Denver,  Omaha  and  Kansas  City. 

Supply  Markets. — Supplies  are  obtained  from  Omaha,  St. 
Joseph,  Kansas  City  and  Denver.  The  cost  of  provisions  is 
somewhat  higher  than  in  Denver,  though  with  an  increase  of 
consumption  the  prices  would  be  practically  the  same. 

SHOSHONE  PROJECT. 

Works  Proposed. — The  storage  reservoir  will  be  on  Sho- 
shone  River,  in  Township  52  North,  Range  103  West.  It 
includes  the  lower  portions  of  the  North  and  South  Forks  of 
the  river.  Capacity  at  proposed  flow  line,  230  feet  above 
bottom  of  river  channel,  456,0000  acre  feet.  Area  of  flooded 
area,  6,600  acres.  Mean  depth,  69  feet. 

The  storage  dam  is  located  at  the  head  of  Shoshone 
Canon,  in  Section  7,  Township  52  North,  Range  102  West. 
It  will  be  seventy-five  feet  long  at  bottom  of  river  channel, 
200  feet  long  on  top,  and  about  300  feet  in  height  above  its 


58  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

foundation,  which  is  about  sixty  feet  below  the  bottom  of  the 
river  channel.  It  will  be  an  arched  dam  of  concrete.  Waste- 
way  will  be  250  feet  in  length  and  connecting  with  a  tunnel 
through  the  granite  wall,  which  will  discharge  the  surplus 
water  into  the  river  bed  below  the  dam. 

There  will  be  two  outlet  conduits,  leaving  the  reservoir 
at  ten  feet  and  sixty  feet,  respectively,  above  the  bed  of  the 
river.  The  one  leaving  the  reservoir  at  the  elevation  ten 
feet  will  be  a  tunnel  ten  feet  by  ten  feet  in  cross-section,  500 
feet  in  length,  and  will  discharge  the  water,  which  will  be 
controlled  by  suitable  gates,  into  the  river  channel  below  the 
dam,  from  which  point  it  wrill  flow  down  the  channel  to  the 
lower  diversion  point  near  Corbett,  a  distance  of  sixteen 
miles.  The  upper  conduit  will  be  divided  into  four  sections. 
Section  I  will  be  six  feet  by  seven  feet  through  granite,  3,230 
feet  in  length,  grade  2.64  feet  per  mile,  capacity  500  second 
feet.  Section  2  will  be  a  tunnel  through  granite  and  sand- 
stone, 2,593  feet  in  length,  and  will  have  the  same  cross- 
section,  grade  and  capacity  as  Section  i.  Between  Sections 
I  and  2  suitable  waste  gates  will  be  placed.  The  water  in 
Sections  I  and  2  will  be  under  pressure  from  the  reservoir. 
Section  3  will  be  an  open  cut,  fourteen  feet  wide  on  the  bot- 
tom;  side  slopes,  il/2  to  i;  depth  of  water,  7  feet;  grade, 
2. 1 12  feet  per  mile;  length,  3,000  feet;  capacity,  500  second 
feet.  Section  4  will  be  a  tunnel  through  limestone,  with  con- 
crete lining;  cross-section,  8  feet  by  8  feet;  grade,  7.92  feet 
per  mile ;  length,  8,660  feet ;  capacity,  500  second  feet.  At 
the  end  of  this  section  the  conduit  reaches  the  upper  portion 
of  the  irrigable  land. 

Canal  Lines. — High  line  starts  from  lower  end  of  outlet 
tunnel.  Bottom  width,  26  feet;  depth,  6  feet;  side  slopes, 
i  on  2;  grade,  1.056  feet  per  mile;  capacity,  500  second  feet; 
length,  22  miles.  Will  irrigate  20,000  acres.  At  Eaglenest 
Creek  it  will  be  divided  into  three  main  laterals  for  irrigation 
of  20,000  acres  north  of  Ralston.  Low  line  canal  heads  in 
Shoshone  River,  sixteen  miles  below  the  damsite,  or  near 
Corbett  station.  A  low  diversion  dam  will  be  built.  The 
first  section  will  be  a  tunnel  three  and  one-half  miles  long 
through  sandstone  and  shale  and  will  be  lined.  Water  sec- 
tion will  be  10  feet  by  10  feet;  grade,  6  feet  per  mile;  ca- 
pacity, 1,000  second  feet.  Below  the  tunnel  the  water  will 
enter  the  main  low-line  canal,  which  will  extend  to  Frannie,  a 
distance  of  forty-two  miles,  irrigating  80,000  acres.  For  ten 
miles  the  section  of  the  canal  will  be :  Bottom  width,  38  feet ; 
depth,  7.5  feet;  side  slopes,  i  on  2;  grade,  1.056  feet  per  mile; 
capacity,  1,000  second  feet.  Below  this  point  the  canal  will 
be  gradually  decreased  in  size. 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  59 

The  area  of  the  reclaimed  land  will  be  about  120,000 
acres.  Cost  per  acre,  $30.  Practically  all  this  land  is  public 
domain,  and  is,  therefore,  subject  to  the  conditions  of  the 
reclamation  act.  The  farm  unit  has  not  been  determined. 

Roads. — A  wagon  road  from  the  lower  end  of  Shoshone 
Canon  to  the  damsite,  a  distance  of  four  miles,  is  being  built. 
The  road  will  be  extended  around  the  reservoir  to  replace  the 
portion  of  the  road  between  Cody  and  Yellowstone  Park, 
which  will  be  covered  by  the  reservoir. 

Location. — Big  Horn  County,  Wyo.  Latitude,  from  44° 
30'  to  45°  o'  N. ;  longitude,  from  108°  30'  to  109°  20'  W. 
Townships  52  to  58  North,  Ranges  96  to  103  West,  6th  Prin- 
cipal Meridian.  The  town  of  Cody  is  in  the  upper  portion  of 
this  tract.  The  Cody  branch  of  the  Burlington  railroad  trav- 
erses the  tract.  Distances  by  rail  from  Cody  via  Burlington 
railroad : 

To  Omaha,  982  miles. 

To  Chicago,  1,461  miles. 

Topography. — Irrigable  lands  are  gentle  rolling  bench 
lands ;  elevation,  4,000  to  5,000  feet.  The  drainage  area  above 
Cody  is  1,480  square  miles;  above  the  damsite,  1,380  square 
miles.  It  includes  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Continental  Divide 
in  Yellowstone  Park ;  elevation,  10,000  to  12,000  feet.  The 
major  part  of  the  drainage  area  is  in  Yellowstone  Park  and 
the  Yellowstone  Forest  Reserve. 

Climate. — Rainfall,  from  8  to  16  inches.  Run-off  at  Cody 
during  1903  was  1,027,900  feet,  of  13  inches.  Prevailing  direc- 
tion of  winds  is  from  the  west.  Temperature  :  Maximum,  95  ; 
minimum,  20;  mean,  42°.  Humidity,  65  per  cent. 

Agricultural  Possibilities. — Value  of  non-irrigated  lands, 
$1.25  per  acre.  Value  of  irrigated  lands,  $25  to  $75  per  acre. 
Types  of  soil,  clay  and  sandy.  Crops,  alfalfa  (two  crops), 
oats,  wheat,  barley  and  vegetables.  Range  lands,  ample. 
Fuel,  coal,  widely  distributed. 

Time  of  Completion. — Owing  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
project,  the  time  for  its  completion  cannot  be  definitely 
stated.  It  is  expected,  however,  that  about  40,000  acres  will 
be  under  ditch  in  about  two  years  from  the  time  of  beginning 
construction. 

THE  RECLAMATION  ACT. 

The  following  is  the  law  under  which  lands  under  the 
foregoing  projects  may  be  located: 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled, 


60  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

That  all  moneys  received  from  the  sale  and  disposal  of  public 
lands  in  Arizona,  California,  Colorado,  Idaho,  Kansas,  Mon- 
tana, Nebraska,  Nevada,  New  Mexico,  North  Dakota,  Okla- 
homa, Oregon,  South  Dakota,  Utah,  Washington  and  Wyo- 
ming, beginning  with  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  3Oth,  1901, 
including  the  surplus  of  fees  and  commissions  in  excess  of 
allowances  to  registers  and  receivers,  and  excepting  the  five 
per  centum  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  public  lands  in  the 
above  states  set  aside  by  law  for  educational  and  other  pur- 
poses, shall  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby,  reserved,  set  aside 
and  appropriated  as  a  special  fund  in  the  Treasury  to  be 
known  as  the  'reclamation  fund/  to  be  used  in  the  examina- 
tion and  survey  for  and  the  construction  and  maintenance  of 
irrigation  works  for  the  storage,  diversion  and  development 
of  waters  for  the  reclamation  of  arid  and  semi-arid  lands  in 
the  said  states  and  territories,  and  for  the  payment  of  all  other 
expenditures  provided  for  in  this  act.  *  *  *  * 

"Sec.  2.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  hereby  au- 
thorized and  directed  to  make  examinations  and  surveys  for, 
and  to  locate  and  construct,  as  herein  provided,  irrigation 
works  for  the  storage,  diversion  and  development  of  waters, 
including  artesian  wells,  and  to  report  to  Congress  at  the  be- 
ginning of  each  regular  session  as  to  the  results  of  such  ex- 
aminations and  surveys,  giving  estimates  of  cost  of  all  con- 
templated works,  the  quantity  and  location  of  the  lands  which 
can  be  irrigated  therefrom,  and  all  facts  relative  to  the  prac- 
ticability of  each  irrigation  project;  also  the  cost  of  works  in 
process  of  construction  as  well  as  of  those  which  have  been 
completed. 

"Sec.  3.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  shall,  before 
giving  the  public  notice  provided  for  in  Section  4  of  this  act, 
withdraw  from  public  entry  the  lands  required  for  any  irriga- 
tion works  contemplated  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  and 
shall  restore  to  public  entry  any  of  the  lands  so  withdrawn 
when,  in  his  judgment,  such  lands  are  not  required  for  the 
purposes  of  this  act;  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is 
hereby  authorized,  at  or  immediately  prior  to  the  time  of 
beginning  the  surveys  for  any  contemplated  irrigation  works, 
to  withdraw  from  entry,  except  under  the  homestead  laws,  any 
public  lands  believed  to  be  susceptible  of  irrigation  from  said 
works :  Provided,  That  all  lands  entered  and  entries  made 
under  the  homestead  laws  within  areas  so  withdrawn  during 
such  withdrawal  shall  be  subject  to  all  the  provisions,  limita- 
tions, charges,  terms  and  conditions  of  this  act ;  that  said 
surveys  shall  be  prosecuted  diligently  to  completion,  and  upon 
the  completion  thereof,  and  of  the  necessary  maps,  plans  and 
estimates  of  cost,  the  Secretarv  of  the  Interior  shall  determine 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  61 

whether  or  not  said  project  is  practicable  and  advisable,  and 
if  determined  to  be  impracticable  or  unadvisable  he  shall 
thereupon  restore  said  lands  to  entry ;  that  public  lands  which 
it  is  proposed  to  irrigate  by  means  of  any  contemplated  works 
shall  be  subject  to  entry  only  under  the  provisions  of  the 
homestead  laws  in  tracts  of  not  less  than  forty  nor  more  than 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  shall  be  subject  to  the  lim- 
itations, charges,  terms  and  conditions  herein  provided:  Pro- 
vided, That  the  commutation  provisions  of  the  homestead 
laws  shall  not  apply  to  entries  made  under  this  act. 

"Sec.  4.  That  upon  the  determination  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  that  any  irrigation  project  is  practicable,  he 
may  cause  to  be  let  contracts  for  the  construction  of  the  same, 
in  such  portions  or  sections  as  it  may  be  practicable  to  con- 
struct and  complete  as  parts  of  the  whole  project,  providing 
the  necessary  funds  for  such  portions  or  sections  are  available 
in  the  reclamation  fund,  and  thereupon  he  shall  give  public 
notice  of  the  lands  irrigable  under  such  project,  and  limit  of 
area  per  entry,  which  limit  shall  represent  the  acreage  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  Secretary,  may  be  reasonably  required  for 
the  support  of  a  family  upon  the  lands  in  question ;  also  of 
the  charges  which  shall  be  made  per  acre  upon  the  said 
entries,  and  upon  lands  in  private  ownership  which  may  be 
irrigated  by  the  waters  of  the  said  irrigation  project,  and  the 
number  of  annual  installments,  not  exceeding  ten,  in 'which 
such  charges  shall  be  paid  and  the  time  when  such  payments 
shall  commence.  The  said  charges  shall  be  determinted  with 
a  view  of  returning  to  the  reclamation  fund  the  estimated  cost 
of  construction  of  the  project,  and  shall  be  apportioned  equit- 
ably :  Provided,  That  in  all  construction  work  eight  hours 
shall  constitute  a  day's  work,  and  no  Mongolian  labor  shall 
be  employed  thereon. 

"Sec.  5.  That  the  entryman  upon  lands  to  be  irrigated 
by  such  works  shall,  in  addition  to  compliance  with  the  home- 
stead laws,  reclaim  at  least  one-half  of  the  total  irrigable  area 
of  his  entry  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  before  receiving 
patent  for  the  lands  covered  by  his  entry  shall  pay  to  the 
government  the  charges  apportioned  against  such  tract,  as 
provided  in  Section  4.  No  right  to  the  use  of  water  for  land 
in  private  ownership  shall  be  sold  for  a  tract  exceeding  one- 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  to  any  one  land  owner,  and  no  such 
sale  shall  be  made  to  any  land  owner  unless  he  be  an  actual 
bona  fide  resident  on  such  land,  or  occupant  thereof  residing 
in  the  neighborhood  of  said  land,  and  no  such  right  shall  per- 
manently attach  until  all  payments  therefor  are  made. 

"Sec.  6.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  hereby  au- 
thorized and  directed  to  use  the  reclamation  fund  for  the 


62  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

operation  and  maintenance  of  all  reservoirs  and  irrigation 
works  constructed  under  the  provisions  of  this  act :  Provided, 
That  when  the  payments  required  by  this  act  are  made  for 
the  major  portion  of  the  lands  irrigated  from  the  waters  of 
any  of  the  works  herein  provided  for,  then  the  management 
and  operation  of  such  irrigation  works  shall  pass  to  the  owners 
of  the  lands  irrigated  thereby,  to  be  maintained  at  their  ex- 
pense under  such  form  of  organization  and  under  such  rules 
and  regulations  as  may  be  acceptable  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior :  Provided,  That  the  title  to  and  the  management 
and  operation  of  the  reservoirs  and  the  works  necessary  for 
their  protection  and  operation  shall  remain  in  the  government 
until  otherwise  provided  by  Congress/' 

Other  sections  of  the  law,  not  necessary  to  quote  herein, 
provide  for  the  administration  of  the  act  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior.  This  act  was  approved  by  the  President  June 
17,  1902. 

WIND  RIVER  RESERVATION. 

By  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1905,  the  Shoshone  or 
Wind  River  Indian  Reservation  will  be  opened  to  the  public, 
June  15,  1906,  for  settlement  under  the  homestead  act.  This 
reservation  comprises  some  of  the  most  fertile  land  in  the 
entire  nation.  It  lies  at  an  elevation  of  from  4,300  to  more 
than  6,000  feet.  Probably  250,000  acres  of  the  tract  is  good 
farming  land  and  the  remainder  is  grazing  land.  There  is 
some  timber  in  the  mountainous  portions,  and  there  is  be- 
lieved to  be  coal  and  minerals  of  various  kinds  within  its 
limits. 

Two  great  railroad  lines  are  heading  toward  this  reser- 
vation, and  promise  to  be  ready  to  carry  passengers  and 
freight  to  that  section  at  the  time  of  the  opening. 

Brief  but  specific  information  relative  to  this  opening  has 
recently  been  given  to  the  public  by  Hon.  W.  A.  Richards, 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  as  follows: 

"The  ceded  portion  of  said  reservation,  which  embraces 
the  land  lying  north  and  east  of  the  Big  Wind  River,  is  to  be 
disposed  of  under  the  provisions  of  the  homestead,  townsite, 
coal  and  mineral  land  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  will  be 
opened  to  settlement  and  entry  on  June  15,  1906,  and  that  by 
proclamation  the  President  shall  prescribe  the  manner  in  which 
such  lands  may  be  settled  upon,  occupied  and  entered  by  per- 
sons entitled  to  make  entry  thereof,  and  no  person  will  be  per- 
mitted to  settle  upon,  occupy  and  enter  said  land,  except  as 
prescribed  in  said  proclamation,  until  after  the  expiration  of 
sixty  days  from  the  date  when  the  same  is  open  to  settlement 
and  entry. 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  63 

"It  is  also  provided  that  the  rights  of  ex-soldiers  and 
sailors  under  Sections  2304-2305,  R.  S.,  shall  not  be  abridged. 

"All  persons  making  homestead  entries  in  said  reservation 
within  two  years  after  the  opening  are  required  to  pay  $1.50 
per  acre,  but  in  homestead  entries  made  thereafter,  the  sum 
of  $1.25  is  to  be  paid.  Fifty  cents  per  acre  is  to  be  paid  at  the 
time  of  making  the  entry,  and  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  an- 
nually thereafter  until  the  price  provided  for  has  been  fully 
paid.  Lands  entered  under  the  townsite,  coal  and  mineral 
land  laws  must  be  paid  for  in  amount  and  manner  as  provided 
by  said  laws. 

"Notices  of  location  of  mineral  entries  are  required  to  be 
filed  in  the  local  land  offices  of  the  district  in  which  the  land 
is  situated,  and  unless  entry  and  payment  shall  be  made 
within  three  years  from  the  date  of  location,  all  rights  there- 
under shall  cease. 

"In  case  any  entryman  fails  to  make  any  of  the  payments 
for  the  land,  as  provided,  within  the  time  stated,  all  rights 
covered  by  such  entries  shall  cease,  and  payments  which  have 
theretofore  been  made  will  be  forfeited  and  the  entry  held 
for  cancellation. 

"Commutation  of  homestead  entry  may  be  made  of 
these  lands  under  Section  2301,  R.  S.,  but  the  parties  will  be 
required  to  pay  the  price  for  the  land,  as  fixed  by  the  act. 

"After  the  expiration  of  five  years  from  the  date  of  the 
opening,  all  the  lands  then  undisposed  of,  except  mineral  and 
coal  lands,  shall  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder  for  cash  at  not 
less  than  $i  per  acre,  and  any  of  such  lands  remaining  unsold 
after  eight  years  from  the  time  of  opening  may  be  sold  to  the 
highest  bidder  for  cash,  without  regard  to  the  minimum  limit 
of  price. 

"The  ceded  portion  embraces  about  two-thirds  of  the  land 
within  said  reservation  and  contains  approximately  1,150,000 
acres." 

In  the  cultivation  of  the  lands  upon  this  tract  of  land 
irrigation  will  be  required.  The  government,  through  the 
reclamation  service,  has  made  a  preliminary  survey  with  a 
view  of  applying  to  it  the  provisions  of  the  irrigation  act,  but 
nothing  definite  can  be  stated  in  regard  to  the  action  of  the 
government  at  this  time. 

It  is  believed  that  this  reservation  opening  will  bring  to 
Wyoming  many  thousands  of  people,  and  that  they  will  be 
delighted  with  the  prospect  presented  and  remain  to  become 
citizens  of  the  state. 

Those  who  desire  further  information  relative  to  agri- 
culture, horticulture,  etc.,  in  this  particular  region  are  referred 
to  the  excellent  articles  herein  on  those  subjects. 


64 


THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


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AN  IRRIGATION  CANAL 
AT  WHEATLAND. 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS. 


The  public  lands  in  Wyoming  consist  chiefly  of  grazing, 
timber  and  agricultural  lands,  though  there  are  large  areas  of 
coal,  oil  and  mineral  lands. 

The  agricultural  lands  are  those  lying  contiguous  to  the 
rivers  and  streams,  and  are  vast  in  extent,  but  crops  cannot 
be  successfully  raised  without  irrigation.  By  the  application 
of  water  the  soil  is  rendered  very  productive  and  is  not  sur- 
passed by  the  states  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Valleys. 

The  laws  under  which  title  to  government  land  may  be 
acquired  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  are  the  homestead 
law,  the  desert  land  law,  the  timber  and  stone  law  and  the 
coal  and  mineral  law. 

Homestead  Law. — The  homestead  law  secures  to  qualified 
persons  the  right  to  settle  upon,  enter  and  acquire  title  to  not 
exceeding  one  quarter  section  (one  hundred  and  sixty  acres) 
of  public  land,  by  establishing  and  maintaining  residence 
thereon  and  improving  and  cultivating  the  land  for  the  period 
of  five  years.  A  homestead  entryman  must  be  the  head  of  a 
family  or  a  person  who  has  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  He  must  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  or  one  who 
has  declared  his  intention  to  become  such,  as  required  by  the 
naturalization  laws.  The  act  of  March  3,  1891,  attaches  the 
condition  that  he  must  not  be  the  proprietor  of  more  than  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  any  state  or  territory. 

Where  a  wife  has  been  divorced  from  her  husband,  or  de- 
serted, so  that  she  is  dependent  upon  her  own  resources  for 
support,  she  can  make  a  homestead  entry  as  the  head  of  a 
family  or  femme  sole. 

A  single  woman  who  makes  a  homestead  entry  and  mar- 
ries before  making  proof  does  not  forfeit  her  right,  provided 
she  does  not  abandon  her  residence  on  the  land. 

Parties  desiring  to  commute  their  homestead  entries  to 
cash  are  required  to  make  proof  of  settlement  and  of  residence 
on  and  cultivation  of  the  land  for  a  period  of  fourteen  months 
from  the  date  of  entry. 

The  following  is  a  table  of  fees  and  commissions  charged 
in  the  mountain  states  under  the  homestead  act: 


COMMISSIONS 

Fees, 

Acres 

Class  of 
Lands 

Payable  when 
entry  is 

Payable  when 
certificate 

Payable  when 
entry  is 

Total 
sum 

made 

issues 

160 

80 

$2.50* 
2  50* 

$12.00 
6.00 

$12.  00 
6.00 

$10.00 
5.00 

IM.OQ 

17.00 

40 

2  50* 

3.00 

3.00 

5.00 

11.90 

160 

1  25t 

6.00 

6.00 

10.00 

22.00 

80 

1  25+ 

3.00 

3.00 

5.00 

11.00 

40 

1.25t 

1.50 

1.50 

5.00 

8.00 

*Inside  Union  Pacific  Land  Grant. 


tOutside  Union  Pacific  Land  Grant. 


66  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

Desert  Lands. — All  lands,  exclusive  of  timber  lands  and 
mineral  lands,  which  will  not,  without  artificial  irrigation, 
produce  some  agricultural  crop,  are  deemed  desert  lands,  and 
are  subject  to  entry  under  the  desert  land  law.  The  party 
making  entry  is  required  at  the  time  of  filing  his  declaration 
to  file  also  a  map  of  the  land,  which  will  exhibit  a  plan  show- 
ing the  mode  of  contemplated  irrigation,  which  plan  shall  be 
sufficient  to  thoroughly  irrigate  and  reclaim  said  land  and 
prepare  it  to  raise  ordinary  agricultural  crops.  No  person  is 
permitted  to  enter  more  than  320  acres  of  land  in  the  aggre- 
gate under  all  the  land '  laws  of  the  United  States,  mineral 
lands  excepted. 

The  right  to  make  desert  land  entries  is  restricted  to  resi- 
dent citizens  of  the  state  in  which  the  land  sought  is  located. 
The  entryman  must  expend  at  least  three  dollars  per  acre, 
one  dollar  per  acre  during  each  year  for  three  years,  and 
must  file  proof  thereof  during  each  year,  such  proof  to  consist 
of  his  affidavit,  corroborated  by  the  affidavits  of  two  or  more 
witnesses,  showing  that  the  full  sum  of  one  dollar  per  acre 
has  been  expended  during  such  year  and  the  manner  in  which 
expended,  and  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  a  map  or  plan 
showing  the  character  and  extent  of  the  improvements.  The 
party  may  make  his  final  entry  and  receive  his  patent  at  any 
time  prior  to  the  expiration  of  three  years  by  making  required 
proof  of  reclamation  and  of  the  expenditure  of  the  aggregate 
amount  of  three  dollars  per  acre,  and  of  the  cultivation  of 
one-eighth  of  the  land.  Persons  making  desert  land  entries 
must  acquire  clear  right  to  the  use  of  sufficient  water  for  the 
purpose  of  irrigating  the  whole  of  the  land,  and  of  keeping  it 
permanently  irrigated.  Persons  making  desert  land  entries 
before  they  have  secured  a  water  right  do  so  at  their  own  risk. 
The  price  of  land  sought  to  be  entered  under  the  provisions 
of  the  desert  land  act  is  $1.25  per  acre,  without  regard  to  the 
situation  of  the  lands  in  regard  to  railroad  grants.  When 
proof  of  the  character  of  the  land  has  been  made  the  applicant 
will  pay  the  Receiver  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  for  the  land 
applied  for.  At  the  time  of  making  final  proof  the  payment  of 
one  dollar  per  acre  is  required. 

Timber  and  Stone  Entries. — The  act  of  June  3,  1878,  pro- 
vides that  surveyed  lands  in  the  public  land  states,  valuable 
chiefly  for  timber  and  stone,  unfit  for  cultivation,  and  conse- 
quently unfit  for  disposal  under  the  homestead  and  desert  land 
laws,  may  be  purchased  by  individuals  and  by  associations  at 
the  minimum  price  of  $2.50  per  acre.  A  party  making  appli- 
cation to  purchase  a  tract  of  this  character  is  required  to  make 
affidavit  that  he  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  by  birth  or 


PUBLIC  LANDS  AND  IRRIGATION  PROJECTS.  67 

naturalization,  or  that  he  has  declared  his  intention  to  become 
a  citizen  under  the  naturalization  laws.  The  quantity  of  land 
which  may  be  acquired  lawfully  under  said  act  by  any  one 
person  or  association  is  limited  to  not  exceeding  160  acres, 
which  must  be  in  one  body. 

Coal. — A  qualified  person  has  the  right  to  enter  by  legal 
subdivision  any  quantity  of  coal  lands  in  the  United  States, 
not  otherwise  appropriated  or  reserved  by  competent  author- 
ity, not  exceeding  160  acres  to  such  individual  person  or  320 
acres  to  an  association,  upon  payment  to  the  government  of 
not  less  than  $10  per  acre  for  such  lands,  where  the  same  shall 
be  situated  more  than  fifteen  miles  from  any  completed  rail- 
road, and  not  less  than  $20  per  acre  for  such  lands  as  shall  be 
within  fifteen  miles  of  such  road. 

Mines  and  Mineral  Lands. — Lands  valuable  for  deposits 
of  mineral,  such  as  fire  and  pottery  clay,  marble,  asphalt,  soda, 
sulphur,  diamonds,  or  of  the  precious  common  metals,  are 
subject  to  sale  under  the  mining  laws.  A  location  must  be 
first  duly  made  and  recorded,  and  certain  sums  must  be  an- 
nually expended.  Five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  labor  and 
improvements  must  be  laid  out  on  each  claim  before  patent 
can  be  applied  for.  The  rules  and  regulations  and  methods 
of  procedure  are  too  extensive  and  complex  to  be  reviewed  at 
length  in  the  compass  of  this  brief  article.  Mining  locations 
defeat  all  railroad  and  state  selections,  if  the  mines  and  min- 
erals were  known  to  exist,  or  were  discovered  prior  to  the 
time  the  road  and  state  claims  took  effect.  Homestead,  desert 
and  timber  and  stone  entries  cannot  embrace  known  mineral 
lands,  unless  it  be  first  shown  that  the  lands  sought  to  be 
entered  are  more  valuable  for  agricultural  purposes  than  for 
the  mineral  they  contain. 

The  United  States  land  offices  for  the  several  districts  in 
Wyoming  are  as  follows :  Albany,  Carbon  and  Laramie 
Counties,  and  a  few  townships  in  Southeastern  Sweetwater 
and  Southeastern  Fremont  County,  at  Cheyenne,  Wyo.  ; 
Sweetwater  and  Uinta  Counties,  at  Evanston,  Wyo. ;  Fre- 
mont and  Big  Horn  Counties,  at  Lander;  Johnson,  Sheridan 
and  a  small  portion  of  Eastern  Big  Horn  County,  at  Buffalo; 
Crook  and  Weston,  at  Sundance;  Converse  and  Natrona, 
at  Douglas. 


68  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


State  Lands. 


There  are  two  kinds  of  lands — state  and  government. 

The  non-mineral  land  laws,  which  have  been  of  the  great- 
est benefit  to  the  arid  west,  are  the  pre-emption,  homestead, 
desert  land  and  Carey  act.  The  pre-emption  act  has  been 
repealed. 

Under  the  homestead  act,  settlement  on  a  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  or  less,  is  required  for  five,  years, 
when  title  passes  to  the  settler  without  any  money  considera- 
tion, or  after  fourteen  months'  actual  settlement  the  title 
may  be  obtained  by  the  payment  of  $1.25  per  acre. 

Under  the  desert  land  act,  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
may  be  acquired  within  three  years  by  the  expenditure  of  $3 
per  acre  in  improvements,  water  rights  and  cultivation,  and 
the  payment  to  the  government  of  $1.25  per  acre. 

Other  acts  grant  to  the  states  for  aid  in  the  support  of 
public  schools,  Sections  16  and  36  in  each  township.  This 
grant  amounts  in  Wyoming  to  3,001,905  acres.  There  is  also 
given  the  state  five  per  cent  of  all  money  received  by  the  gen- 
eral government  for  the  sale  of  its  lands  in  Wyoming.  The 
interest  on  this  fund  is  used  in  aid  of  the  support  of  the  schools. 

There  have  also  been  granted  to  Wyoming  663,080  acres 
for  aid  in  support  of  her  several  institutions,  such  as  the  Uni- 
versity, Agricultural  College,  Hospital,  Insane  Asylum,  Pen- 
itentiary, Soldiers'  Home,  etc. 

The  rental  of  these  lands,  which  are  mostly  pasture  lands, 
bringing  an  average  rental  of  three  cents  per  acre,  and  the  in- 
terest upon  the  fund  realized  from  their  sale,  at  not  less  than 
$10  per  acre,  is  used  in  aid  of  the  maintenance  of  these  insti- 
tutions. 

STATE   LANDS  — HOW  THEY   MAY   BE  ACQUIRED. 

There  are  two  classes  of  state  lands : 

First — Those  donated  to  the  state  for  various  public  pur- 
poses, and  over  which  the  state  has  absolute  control. 

Second — Those  known  as  "arid  lands,"  whose  donation  to 
the  state  is  conditional  upon  their  reclamation. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  and  statutes,  the 
State  Boards  of  Land  Commissioners,  consisting  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, Secretary  of  State,  State  Treasurer  and  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  have  the  direction,  control,  disposition 
and  care  of  all  lands  granted  to  the  state. 


STATE;  LANQS.  69 

First— Those  donated  to  the  state  for  various  public  pur- 
poses, and  over  which  the  state  has  absolute  control. 

May  Be  Sold. — The  act  of  admission  provides  that  school 
lands,  including  the  grant  for  the  use  of  the  Agricultural 
College,  shall  be  sold  for  not  less  than  $10  per  acre.  The 
constitution  provides  further  that  lands  heretofore  and  here- 
after acquired  shall  be  sold  for  not  less  than  $10  per  acre,  and 
that  such  lands  shall  be  disposed  of  at  public  auction. 

May  Be  Leased.— The  State  Boards  of  Land  Commission- 
ers lease  any  legal  subdivision  of  the  lands  of  the  state  at  an 
annual  rental  not  less  than  five  per  cent  of  the  valuation 
thereof,  fixed  by  the  board,  conditioned  upon  the  payment  of 
the  rent  annually  and  in  advance,  and  for  periods  of  not  more 
than  five  years.  When  any  lease  expires  by  limitation  the 
lessee  may,  with  the  permission  of  the  board,  renew  the  same 
as  follows :  At  any  time  within  ninety  days  next  preceding 
the  expiration  of  the  lease  the  lessee  or  his  assigns  shall 
notify  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Lands  of  his  or  their  de- 
sire to  renew  the  lease.  If  the  lessee  and  the  board  be  agreed 
as  to  the  valuation  of  the  land,  a  new  lease  shall  be  issued, 
bearing  even  date  with  the  expiration  of  the  old  one,  and  upon 
like  conditions. 

The  power  given  to  the  board  to  refuse  to  renew  a  lease 
or  to  sell  state  lands  at  the  expiration  of  a  lease,  or  again  to 
lease  to  other  parties  than  the  original  lessee,  shall  not  apply, 
whenever  the  original  lessee  of  state  land  or  his  assigns  shall 
have,  during  the  period  of  his  lease,  or  prior  thereto,  reclaimed 
the  same  by  irrigation,  and  shall  have  provided  suitable 
ditches  for  its  full  and  complete  reclamation,  and  shall  have 
secured  an  adequate  and  perpetual  water  supply  for  said  land, 
and  shall  have  continuously  cultivated  and  irrigated  one- 
fourth  thereof,  or  shall  have,  during  the  term  of  his  lease, 
constructed  upon  any  section  of  state  land  or  legal  subdivision 
thereof,  a  well,  or  reservoir,  for  the  purpose  of  watering  live 
stock,  of  the  value  of  $200,  then,  in  such  cases,  the  said  orig- 
inal lessee,  or  his  assigns,  shall  have  a  preferred  right  to  rene\v 
such  lease  for  a  term  of  five  years,  which  renewal  may  be 
repeated  for  the  same  period  of  five  years  thereafter,  and  may 
again  be  repeated  for  a  period  of  ten  years  thereafter,  making  a 
total  period  not  to  exceed  twenty  years ;  Provided,  That  each 
of  said  renewals  shall  be  dependent  upon  the  continuous  irriga- 
tion and  cultivation  of  said  land  or  upon  the  maintenance  and 
use  of  said  well  or  reservoir;  and,  Provided,  further,  That 
the  said  lands,  at  each  renewal  period,  may  be  appraised  by 
the  board  having  jurisdiction  thereof;  said  appraisement  to  be 
made  irrespective  of  any  irrigation  works  or  improvements 
placed  thereon  by  the  lessee. 


7o  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The  lessee  of  state  lands  is  prohibited,  in  all  cases,  from 
cutting  or  using  more  of  the  timber  thereon  than  shall  be 
necessary  for  the  improvement  of  such  lands,  or  for  fuel  for 
use  of  the  family  of  the  lessee,  and  from  the  cutting  and  haul- 
ing of  timber  from  leased  state  lands  to  saw  mills. 

Any  lease  of  state  lands  procured  by  fraud,  deceit  or  mis- 
representation may  be  canceled  by  the  board  upon  proper 
proof  thereof. 

The  necessary  blanks  and  information  will  be  supplied  any 
person  desiring  to  lease  state  lands,  upon  application  to  Rob- 
ert P.  Fuller,  Commissioner  of  Public  Lands,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. 

Second — Those  known  as  arid  lands  whose  donation  to 
the  state  is  conditional  upon  their  reclamation. 

The  act  of  Congress  approved  August  18,  1894,  donated  to 
the  State  of  Wyoming,  conditional  upon  its  reclamation,  one 
million  acres  of  arid  land.  The  State  of  Wyoming  accepted 
the  conditions  of  the  grant,  and  by  Chapter  15,  Title  9,  of 
Division  I  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  provided  for  its  reclama- 
tion, occupation  and  disposal.  The  general  provisions  of  this 
law  are  as  follows : 

Request  and  Proposal. — Any  person,  or  company  of  per- 
sons, having  constructed  or  desiring  to  construct  ditches, 
canals  or  other  irrigation  works  to  reclaim  lands  under  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  shall  file  with  the  State  Board  of  Land 
Commissioners  a  request  for  the  selection  of  the  land  to  be 
reclaimed,  and  accompany  this  request  with  a  proposal  to  con- 
struct the  ditch,  canal  or  other  irrigation  works  necessary  for 
the  complete  reclamation  of  the  land  asked  to  be  selected,  and 
shall  make  clear  to  the  board  their  financial  .ability  to  carry  out 
the  proposed  undertaking. 

Guaranty. — A  certified  check  for  such  sum  as  may  be  de- 
termined by  the  board  shall  accompany  each  request  and 
proposal  as  a  guarantee  that  a  contract  with  the  state  will  be 
entered  into  according  to  its  terms. 

Maps  and  Field  Notes. — An  accurate  survey  must  be 
made  and  maps  and  field  notes  furnished  the  board,  with  a 
certified  copy  of  a  permit  from  the  State  Engineer  to  appro- 
priate water  for  the  reclamation  of  the  land  described. 

Terms  of  Contract — With  State  for  Construction — With 
Settler  for  Land  and  Water — Bond. — Upon  the  withdrawal 
of  the  land  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  board  to  enter  into  a  contract  with  the  parties  siib- 
mitting  the  proposal,  which  contract  shall  contain  complete 
specifications  of  the  location,  dimensions,  character  and  esti- 


STATE  LANDS.  71 

mated  cost  of  the  proposed  ditch,  canal  or  other  irrigation 
works ;  the  price  per  acre  and  terms  at  which  such  works  and 
perpetual  water  rights  shall  be  sold  to  settlers;  provided,  that 
such  price  and  terms  for  irrigation  works  and  water  rights 
shall  in  all  cases  be  reasonable  and  just.  This  contract  shall 
not  be  entered  into  on  the  part  of  the  state  until  a  satisfactory 
bond  is  filed  by  the  proposed  contractor  for  irrigation  works, 
which  bond  shall  be  in  a  penal  sum  equal  to  five  per  cent  of 
the  estimated  cost  of  the  works. 

Time  Allowed  for  Construction. — No  contract  shall  be 
made  by  the  board  which  requires  a  greater  time  than  five 
years  for  the  construction  of  the  works,  and  all  contracts  shall 
state  that  the  work  shall  begin  within  six  months  from  the 
date  of  contract;  that  at  least  one-tenth  of  the  construction 
work  shall  be  completed  within  two  years  from  the  date  of 
said  contract,  and  that  construction  shall  be  prosecuted  dili- 
gently and  continuously  to  completion.  Upon  failure  of  con- 
tractors to  complete  ditch  or  canal  under  contract,  the  land 
board  may  sell  any  such  incomplete  works  at  auction. 

HOW  TO  ACQUIRE  A  HOMESTEAD  UNDER  THE 
ARID  LAND  ACT. 

Any  citizen  of  the  United  States  or  any  person  having 
declared  his  intention  to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States 
(excepting  married  women  not  the  heads  of  families),  over  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  may  make  application  for  a  certificate 
of  location  upon  any  of  the  segregated  lands  in  an  amount  not 
to  exceed  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

The  prospective  settler  must  first  secure  a  contract  from 
the  irrigation  company  for  a  water  right  for  the  land  upon 
which  he  desires  to  locate.  The  application  and  a  duplicate 
copy  of  the  water  contract  must  be  filed  with  the  Commissioner 
of  Public  Lands  within  thirty  days  of  the  date  of  issuing  said 
water  contract,  and  be  accompanied  by  a  payment  of  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre  in  partial  payment  of  the  land,  and  a  fee  of 
$i  for  filing  the  application.  If  the  application  is  not  allowed, 
the  payment  of  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  is  returned. 

The  application  must  be  sworn  to  before  a  United  States 
Commissioner  or  other  officer  authorized  to  administer  oaths. 

During  the  first  year  the  settler  must  reclaim  and  irrigate 
not  less  than  one-sixteenth  of  the  land  applied  for,  and  within 
two  years  must  irrigate  and  cultivate  not  less  than  one-eighth 
of  the  land.  Within  three  years  the  settler  must  make  final 
proof,  showing  that  he  has  lived  upon  the  land  with  his  family, 
if  any,  for  not  less  than  a  period  of  six  months,  immediately 
prior  to  date  of  application  for  patent,  and  showing  reclama- 


72  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

tion  and  cultivation  of  not  less  than  one-eighth  of  the  land, 
and  such  further  details  in  regard  to  crops  raised  as  called 
for  in  the  final  proof  blank. 

The  reclamation  can  be  completed  and  land  patented  in 
the  first  year. 

Application  for  patent  must  be  accompanied  by  the  final 
payment  of  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  on  the  land  and  state 
fees  of  $2  for  filing  application  and  issuing  the  patent. 

Patents — Water  Rights  Appurtenant. — The  water  rights 
to  all  lands  acquired  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall 
attach  to  and  become  appurtenant  to  the  land  as  soon  as  title 
passes  from  the  United  States  to  the  state. 

Fees. — For  filing  each  application,  $i ;  for  filing  each  final 
proof,  $i ;  for  issuing  each  patent,  $i  ;  for  making  certified 
copies  of  papers  or  records,  the  same  fee  as  provided  for  to  be 
charged  by  the  Secretary  of  State  for  like  services.  The  money 
collected  for  fees  shall  be  paid  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  state, 
and  by  him  credited  to  the  fund  created  by  virtue  of  this  act. 


The  moneys  received  by  the  state  for  the  lands  at  fifty 
cents  per  acre  create  a  fund  for  the  reclamation  of  other  lands 
by  the  state  itself. 

This  act  is  now  proving  to  be  the  most  beneficial  to  this 
state  of  any  of  the  land  acts,  and  probably  more  so  to  this  than 
to  any  other  state,  for  the  reasons : 

First — This  state  of  all  the  arid  states  has  the  best  irriga- 
tion laws  for  all  kinds  of  irrigation  projects,  and  especially  for 
those  under  the  Carey  act. 

Second — Because  the  State  Land  Board  has  taken  special 
and  practical  interest  in  furthering  the  state's  interests  under 
this  act;  and, 

Third — Because  the  state  and  national  governments  are 
behind  the  act  and  afford  perfect  protection  for  the  capital 
invested  and  to  the  settler  for  the  title  to  his  land  and  the  per- 
petuity of  his  water  right.  There  is  no  possibility  of  any  fake 
scheme  whereby  the  individual  investors  or  the  settlers  can 
lose.  For  these  reasons  and  the  fact  that  the  soil,  climate  and 
altitude  of  Wyoming  are  especially  adapted  to  the  most  pro- 
fitable crops  as  the  result  of  irrigation,  this  state  has  accom- 
plished more  under  this  act  than  has  any  other  of  the  arid 
states,  and  the  act  is  accomplishing  more  for  the  settlement  and 
growth  in  wealth  of  the  state  and  the  furnishing  of  homes  for 
the  poor  than  any  other  land  act  of  the  general  government. 
Homes  .worth  $50  per  acre  are  obtainable  for  from  $10.50  to 
$30.50  per  acre,  and  capital  invested  is  assured  a  fair  profit. 


o 


i 


111 


o   o 


GRAND  CANON  OF  NORTH  PLATTE  RIVER,  NATRONA  COUNTY. 


STATE:  LANDS.  73 

WHAT  HAS  BEEN  DONE. 

Under  the  arid  land  act  the  State  of  Wyoming  has  segre- 
gated and  contracted  for  the  reclamation  of  556,593.39  acres. 

The  first  segregation  for  the  Cody  Canal,  by  the  Shoshone 
Irrigation  Company,  comprised  26,429.94  acres.  This  land  is 
located  near  the  town  of  Cody,  in  Big  Horn  County.  The 
canal  takes  its  water  supply  from  the  South  Fork  of  the  Sho- 
shone River,  and  the  state  has  obtained  patent  from  the  gov- 
ernment for  19,868.54  acres.  Nearly  all  of  this  land  has  been 
filed  upon  and  a  considerable  portion  reclaimed. 

The  Burlington  and  Bench  Canals,  owned  by  the  Big 
Horn  Basin  Development  Company,  Germania  and  Burling- 
ton, Wyoming,  were  originally  intended  to  cover  32,429.94 
acres  which  was  segregated.  It  was  found,  however,  that,  on 
account  of  the  greater  amount  of  water  available  under  the 
Oregon  Basin  Canal,  it  would  be  more  profitable  to  furnish 
water  from  the  latter  rather  than  from  the  proposed  Burlington 
Canal  from  the  Grey  Bull  River.  The  state  has  obtained  a 
patent  under  the  Bench  Canal  for  11,261.60  acres,  part  of 
which  is  still  open  for  settlement,  and  has  application  for  pat- 
ent for  a  portion  of  the  remainder.  The  balance  will  be  cov- 
ered by  the  Oregon  Basin  Canal  and  will  not  be  open  for 
settlement  before  1907. 

The  Big  Horn  Basin  Colonization  Company :  20,599.64 
acres  have  been  segregated  under  this  project  and  8,707.64 
acres  have  been  patented  to  the  state.  These  lands  are  in  the 
main  occupied  by  Mormon  colonists  and  have  been  generally 
reclaimed,  and  exhibit  a  successful  development  of  the  agri- 
cultural possibilities  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin. 

The  Lovell  Irrigation  Company  had  11,320.51  acres  seg- 
regated and  7,161.43  acres  have  been  patented  to  the  state. 
This,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Sidon  Canal,  is  also  taken  up  by 
the  Mormon  colonists. 

The  North  Platte  Canal  and  Colonization  Company, 
Wyncote,  Wyoming,  has  constructed  about  thirty  miles  of 
canal  along  the  North  Platte  River  and  has  located  a  number 
of  settlers  under  the  completed  portion.  As  this  canal  occu- 
pied a  right  of  way  desired  by  the  Government  Pathfinder 
Canal,  they  have  entered  into  arrangement  with  the  United 
States  by  which  the  government  will  furnish  the  water  for 
14,424.94  acres  segregated  for  their  project,  and  their  entire 
tract  will  be  ready  for  patent  to  the  state  in  May,  1905,  at 
which  time  they  will  be  authorized  to  locate  settlers  upon  all 
their  lands.  Under  the  part  of  the  canal  now  completed  there 
is  room  for  a  number  of  settlers. 


74  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The  Hanover  Canal  Company,  Worland,  Wyoming,  has 
10,682.53  acres  now  segregated.  This  company  will  have  a 
canal  about  thirty-five  m^es  long,  taking  in  a  considerable 
amount  of  land  along  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Horn  River,  in 
addition  to  the  amount  now  segregated.  A  portion  of  their 
canal  has  been  constructed  and  they  are  ready  to  furnish 
water  to  prospective  settlers.  As  the  altitude  of  these  lands 
is  4,200  feet,  there  is  no  doubt  that  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
colonies  in  the  state  will  be  located  near  Worland. 

The  Big  Horn  County  Irrigation  Company,  which  has  re- 
cently assumed  the  incomplete  Big  Horn  County  Canal,  has 
16,295.44  acres  of  land  segregated.  This  company  has  about 
six  miles  of  canal,  twenty  feet  wide,  partly  completed,  and  ex- 
pects to  reclaim  the  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Basin,  the  county 
seat  of  Big  Horn  County.  Their  land  should  be  open  to  set- 
tlement during  the  season  of  1907,  although  it  is  possible  that 
a  part  of  the  lands  may  be  open  during  1906. 

One  of  the  earliest  applications  under  the  arid  land  act 
was  that  of  the  Uinta  Canal  No.  2,  segregating  12,698.68  acres 
of  land  along  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  west  and  east  of 
Granger,  in  Uinta  County,  about  three  miles  from  the  station, 
near  the  Blacks  Fork  River.  Owing  to  its  proximity  to  the 
Union  Pacific  railway,  this  should  be  one  of  the  best  irrigation 
projects  in  the  west.  The  company  has  not  fully  completed 
its  reservoir  system,  so  it  is  necessary  to  wait  until  there  is  an 
ample  supply  of  water  before  opening  the  land  for  settlement. 

The  largest  project  to  be  constructed  by  private  capital  is 
that  of  the  Oregon  Basin  Canal  Company  (413  New  York  Life 
building,  Omaha,  Neb.,  and  Cody,  Wyo.).  This  company  has 
already  segregated  145,384.10  acres,  and  expects  to  reclaim  in 
excess  of  200,000  acres.  The  project  contemplates  storing  a 
large  portion  of  the  flood  water  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Sho- 
shone  River  in  what  is  known  as  the  Oregon  Basin,  and  during 
the  irrigation  season  carrying  it  upon  a  vast  tract  of  land  be- 
tween Burlington  and  Cody,  Wyo.  This  company  also  has 
completed  the  Sage  Creek  Canal,  covering  784.43  acres,  which 
takes  the  flood  waters  of  Sage  Creek.  Patent  has  been  applied 
for  for  this  small  tract. 

The  construction  of  the  main  canal  will  be  begun  during 
the  present  season,  and  the  land  should  be  open  for  settlement 
in  1907. 

The  Boulder  Lake  Canal  Company,  Boulder,  Wyo.,  has 
segregated  6,120  acres  of  land  in  Western  Fremont  County, 
under  a  fork  of  the  Green  River.  The  canal  has  been  com- 
pleted and  the  land  is  now  open  for  settlement. 


STATE  LANDS. 


75 


The  North  Platte  and  Encampment  Canal,  Saratoga,  has 
segregated  18,121.27  acres  of  land  between  Saratoga  and  En- 
campment, along  the  North  Platte  River.  The  construction  of 
the  canal  has  not  yet  begun,  but  should  be  completed  in  time 
for  settlement  in  1907. 

The  Fort  Laramie  Canal  and  Reservoir  Company  made 
an  application  for  the  segregation  of  nearly  27,000  acres  of 
land  in  Laramie  County,  but  as  their  plan  conflicts  with  the 
government  "Pathfinder"  project,  it  is  probable  that,  an  ar- 
rangement will  be  made  by  which  the  government  canals  will 
furnish  water  for  this  tract  of  land. 

The  first  large  canal  company  in  Wyoming  was  the 
Wheatland  Development  Company,  which  acquired,  by  pur- 
chase, a  large  body  of  land  in  Laramie  County  and  furnished 
water  for  same  by  the  construction  of  a  canal  from  the  Lar- 
amie River,  cutting  a  tunnel  through  the  Laramie  Mountains. 
Owing  to  the  diversion  of  part  of  the  water  of  the  Laramie 
River,  within  the  State  of  Colorado,  this  company  found  it 
necessary  to  construct  an  immense  reservoir  in  Albany  County 
to  store  the  flood  waters  of  the  Laramie,  and  now,  having  an 
excess  amount  of  water,  has  applied  for  the  segregation  of 
about  8,000  acres  of  land  under  the  Carey  land  act,  and  will 
be  ready  to  sell  water  rights  to  prospective  settlers  as  soon 
as  their  application  has  been  approved  by  the  United  States 
General  Land  Office. 

Prospective  settlers  can  secure  information  in  regard  to 
these  several  projects  by  writing  to  the  companies  at  the 
addresses  given  above. 

The  arid  land  act  is  advantageous  for  small  projects,  as 
well  as  for  those  requiring  investment  of  large  capital. 

The  Fisher  Canal,  covering  320  acres;  the  Fitzsimmons 
Ditch,  covering  160  acres,  and  the  John  Scott  Ditch,  160  acres, 
have  been  completing  under  this  provision,  and  the  land  under 
the  John  Scott  and  Fitzsimmons  Ditches  patented. 

In  a  former  pamphlet  issued  by  the  state,  reference  was 
made  to  the  Cody  &  Salisbury  segregation,  comprising  about 
80,000  acres  to  the  north  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Shoshone 
River.  This  tract  of  land  and  the  irrigation  rights  belonging 
thereto  have  been  turned  over  to  the  Government  Reclamation 
Service  and  is  included  in  the  Shoshone  project,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  issue. 


76  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

How  to  Obtain  a  Right  to  Use  Water 
in  Wyoming. 

CLARENCE:  T.  JOHNSTON,  STATE:  ENGINEER. 


Section  31  of  Article  i  of  the  Constitution  of  Wyoming 
reads  as  follows : 

"Sec.  31.  Water  being  essential  to  industrial  prosperity, 
of  limited  amount,  and  easy  of  diversion  from  its  natural  chan- 
nels, its  control  must  be  in  the  state,  which,  in  providing  for 
its  use,  shall  equally  guard  all  the  various  interests  involved." 

The  state  has  provided  a  regular  procedure  whereby  any- 
one desiring  to  make  a  beneficial  use  of  water  may  be  pro- 
tected from  the  inception  of  the  work  of  construction  to  the 
application  of  water  to  the  ground  and  the  acquisition  of  the 
right  to  use  the  same.  The  state  has  been  divided  into  four 
water  divisions,  each  of  which  is  supervised  by  a  division 
superintendent.  These  four  officers,  with  the  State  Engineer, 
constitute  the  State  Board  of  Control.  The  divisions  are  still 
further  divided  into  water  districts,  where  the  immediate  con- 
trol of  the  water  is  supervised  by  water  commissioners  under 
instructions  from  the  division  superintendents  and  the  Board 
of  Control.  The  control  of  water  still  lies  in  the  state,  even 
though  a  right  to  use  the  same  is  granted.  This  right  may  be 
compared  with  a  right  of  way  granted  by  the  general  govern- 
ment where  the  beneficiary  has  the  use  of  lands  for  certain 
purposes,  but  for  the  protection  of  the  public  the  control  re- 
mains in  the  hands  of  national  authorities. 

To  obtain  a  right  to  use  water,  the  party  proposing  to 
apply  must  first  survey  his  ditch  line  and  determine  the  lands 
which  can  be  irrigated.  He  can  secure  blanks  for  making  the 
application  from  the  State  Engineer's  office,  and  when  these 
have  been  filled  out  and  accompanied  with  maps  in  duplicate 
showing  the  necessary  information,  they  can  be  forwarded, 
with  the  filing  fee  of  $2,  to  that  ofiice.  A  receipt  is  sent  the 
applicant  and  the  application  is  taken  up  in  its  regular  order. 
If  in  proper  form,  and  the  approval  does  not  seem  to  be  in- 
jurious to  others,  it  is  so  approved,  and  is  thereafter  desig- 
nated as  a  permit.  It  is  recorded  in  a  special  record  book  and 
given  a  number.  The  original  map  which  accompanied  the 
application  is  filed  in  the  office  of  the  State  Engineer  under 


How  TO  OBTAIN  A  WATER  RIGHT.  77 

this  number  and  the  permit  is  returned,  with  the  duplicate 
map,  to  the  applicant.  A  letter  of  transmittal  accompanies  the 
permit  and  map,  which  explains  the  steps  which  are  then 
necessary  on  the  part  of  the  applicant,  if  he  is  to  perfect  his 
right  to  use  water.  Attached  to  this  letter  is  a  stub,  which, 
when  filled  out,  makes  a  notice  of  completion  of  the  irrigation 
works.  The  applicant  is  given  a  limited  time  to  finish  con- 
struction work,  and  when  it  has  been  concluded  he  tears  off 
the  stub,  fills  in  the  blank  spaces  and  sends  the  notice  to  the 
State  Engineer's  office.  The  State  Engineer  notes  the  comple- 
tion of  the  works  on  the  records  and  sends  a  receipt  for  the 
notice  to  the  applicant. 

Each  division  superintendent  is  furnished  with  a  card 
index,  each  card  of  which  contains  a  brief  of  all  the  permits 
which  have  been  issued  in  his  division.  When  a  notice  of 
completion  is  received  by  the  State  Engineer,  .the  superin- 
tendent is  so  informed  and  he  indicates  the  same  on  the  proper 
card.  His  cards  are  arranged  by  streams,  so  that  in  visiting 
any  locality  he  can  inspect  all  works  for  which  notices  of 
completion  have  been  received  and  if  the  work  has  been  done, 
and  lands  irrigated  in  accordance  with  the  permit  issued  by 
the  state,  he  takes  proof  of  the  same  from  the  applicant.  This 
proof  is  evidence  of  the  applicant's  having  complied  with  the 
terms  of  his  permit.  The  Board  of  Control  meets  twice  each 
year:  on  the  second  Wednesday  in  March  and  the  third 
Wednesday  of  October.  Prior  to  these  meetings  the  super- 
intendents advertise  all  proof  they  have  taken,  and  if  any 
contests  of  proof  submitted  are  made,  a  time  and  place  is  set 
for  a  hearing  and  further  testimony  is  taken,  which,  together 
with  a  tabulation  and  report  of  all  proceedings,  is  brought  to 
the  board  meeting  by  the  superintendent.  The  Board  of  Con- 
trol considers  the  testimony  given  in  the  proofs  and  by  contest 
procedure,  and  orders  the  issuance  of  final  certificates  of  ap- 
propriation accordingly.  These  papers  grant  the  use  of  water 
as  long  as  beneficial  application  of  the  same  is  made  and  the 
rights  of  others  are  not  interfered  with.  The  certificate  of 
appropriation  is  first  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Board  of 
Control  and  then  sent  to  the  County  Clerk  of  the  county 
where  the  beneficial  use  of  water  has  been  made,  where  they 
are  again  recorded.  The  County  Clerk  forwards  the  certificate 
to  the  appropriator  after  it  has  been  duly  recorded. 

By  this  procedure  the  public  is  notified  of  the  extent  of 
the  proposed  use  before  work  begins,  careful  plans  must  be 
made  for  constructing  irrigation  works  and  reclaiming  the 
lands  lying  thereunder,  and  the  date  of  the  priority  of  right  to 
use  water  is  fixed  by  the  filing  of  the  application  in  the  office 


78  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

of  the  State  Engineer.    The  steps  leading  to  the  acquisition  of 
a  right  to  use  water  are  in  brief  as  follows : 

1.  Survey  of  ditch  or  reservoir  and  irrigable  lands. 

2.  Preparation  of  maps  and  application. 

3.  Approval   of  application   by  state  and   issuance   of  a 
permit. 

4.  .Prosecution  of  construction  and  reclamation  of  lands. 

5.  Notice  of  completion  of  construction  and  the  applica- 
tion of  water  to  a  beneficial  use. 

6.  Inspection   by   division   superintendent   and   the   sub- 
mission of  proof. 

7.  Report  of  superintendent  to  board  and  the  preparation 
of  the  decree. 

8.  Issuance  of  the  final  certificate  of  appropriation. 

While  the  procedure  would  seem" 'to  be  complicated,  yet 
the  appropriator  does  not  have  to  follow  the  administrative 
phase  of  the  work.  He  makes  his  application  properly,  builds 
his  irrigation  works,  reclaims  the  land  in  accordance  with  the 
permit  and  makes  proof  thereof.  Under  any  system  he  would 
have  to  construct  the  canals  or  reservoirs  and  perform  the 
labor  necessary  to  bring  the  lands  under  irrigation.  Before 
he  could  secure  a  right  to  use  the  water  undisturbed  he  would 
have  to  make  some  kind  of  proof  of  his  having  made  beneficial 
application  of  the  same. 

It  costs  at  least  five  dollars  per  acre  to  reclaim  lands  by 
irrigation.  When  this  is  accomplished  the  lands  have  a 
value  of  at  least  twenty  dollars  per  acre.  If  the  stability  of 
the  water  right  can  be  insured  at  an  expenditure  of  fifty  cents 
per  acre,  no  better  investment  could  be  made  by  an  irrigator. 
The  Wyoming  law  and  administration  provides  such  in- 
surance. 

Presume  that  it  is  planned  to  claim  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  and  a  ditch  four  miles  in  length  is  to  be 
constructed.  It  is  found  that  a  surveyor  can  be  secured  to 
make  the  necessary  location,  measurements  and  prepare  the 
maps.  It  requires  three  days  for  him  to  reach  the  land,  make 
the  surveys  and  return.  For  this  he  charges  thirty  dollars. 
He  then  makes  the  maps  and  prepares  a  portion  of  the  appli- 
cation. For  this  work  he  charges  an  additional  fee  of  ten 
dollars.  The  application  is  then  completed  and  is  sworn  to 
before  a  notary,  who  charges  fifty  cents.  It  is  then  mailed, 
with  the  maps,  to  the  State  Engineer,  accompanied  with  the 
filing  fee  of  two  dollars.  After  approval,  the  permit  is  re- 
turned to  the  applicant,  when  construction  can  properly  be- 
gin. When  the  irrigation  works  are  finished  and  the  lands 
reclaimed,  the  division  superintendent  appears  and  receives 


AGRICULTURE;  AND  HORTICULTURE.  79 

proof  thereon.  He  collects  a  fee  of  one  dollar  and  seventy- 
five  cents,  as  required  by  law.  Of  this  fee,  one  dollar  goes  to 
the  State  Treasurer  to  reimburse  the  state  for  the  expense 
incurred  in  issuing  the  final  certificate  of  appropriation,  and 
seventy-five  cents  is  mailed,  with  the  certificate,  to  the  County 
Clerk  to  cover  the  recording  fee  in  that  office.  The  costs 
may  be  summarized  as  follows : 

Survey  and  maps $40.00 

Notary  fee 50 

Recording  fee,  State  Engineer's  office.  .     2.00 

Fee  for  final  certificate i.oo 

Fee  for  recording  in  office  County  Clerk       .75 

Total $44.25 

The  total  cost  of  securing  the  right  to  use  water  is,  there- 
fore, a  little  less  than  twenty-eight  cents  per  acre.  The  in- 
vestment in  irrigation  works  would  be  at  least  five  dollars  per 
acre,  so  that  the  rate  of  insurance  is  only  about  5^  per  cent 
of  the  cost  of  construction.  As  the  value  of  the  lands  irrigated 
depend  almost  entirely  on  the  water  right,  the  rate  of  insur- 
ance would  ordinarily  not  exceed  one  per  cent. 


Agriculture  and   Horticulture. 

Upon  the  agriculture  of  a  region  must  its  continued  and 
permanent  prosperity  depend.  Poor  indeed  is  any  country 
which  has  no  staple  form  of  agricultural  industry,  and  the 
more  varied  are  its  farming  interests,  the  greater  is  the  inde- 
pendence, the  industrial  and  financial  success  of  its  people. 
The  conditions  in  Wyoming  are  so  varied  that  it  is  difficult 
to  classify  them.  As  a  whole  the  state  is  located  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountain  and  plateau  portion  of  the  arid  region.  The 
average  altitude  of  our  agricultural  land  is  about  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  There  are  extensive  and  well  watered  plateaus 
between  7,000  and  8,000  feet  which  offer  especial  advantages 
for  the  kind  of  agriculture  suited  to  them,  and  there  are  prob- 
ably larger  areas  of  irrigable  land  below  5,000  feet  altitude 
than  are  found  in  any  other  portion  of  the  west.  The  mean 
annual  temperature  varies  from  about  40°  F.  to  50°  F.,  de- 
pending on  the  altitude  and  the  protection  of  surrounding 
mountains.  The  growing  season,  free  from  frost,  ranges  from 
less  than  eighty  days  to  more  than  150  days.  The  annual 
rainfall  may  exceed  thirty  inches  on  the  higher  mountain 


8o  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

ranges,  is  seventeen  inches  to  twenty-one  inches  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  state,  and  perhaps  not  more  than  four 
inches  on  the  dryest  interior  region  known  as  the  Red  Desert. 
The  average  annual  precipitation  is  about  twelve  inches  for 
the  farming  sections  of  the  state,  and  its  distribution  through 
the  year  is  most  favorable  to  the  growth  of  crops,  as  40  per 
cent  to  50  per  cent  of  the  total  falls  in  the  spring  months, 
which  secures  the  germination  of  seeds  and  supplies  the  early 
growth  of  plants  before  irrigation  becomes  necessary. 

As  a  whole  the  soils  of  the  state  are  wonderfully  fertile, 
as  they  have  not  been  subject  to  leaching  by  heavy  rainfall 
and  contain  all  the  plant  food  which  was  in  the  original  rocks 
from  which  they  are  formed.  Phenomenal  yields  are  obtained 
on  these  virgin  soils,  and  maintaining  their  fertility  is  simply 
a  question  of  farm  practice  and  rotation.  It  is  neither  neces- 
sary nor  advisable  to  use  expensive  commercial  fertilizers. 

The  health  factor  in  the  climate  cannot  be  excelled  for 
man,  animals  and  plants.  The  high  quality  of  Wyoming  stock 
and  crops  has  received  flattering  recognition  and  tribute  at 
every  international  exposition,  and  at  local,  state  and  national 
fairs.  In  1904,  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  Wyo- 
ming received  more  grand  prizes  and  gold  medals  for  her 
agricultural  crops  for  her  size  in  population  than  any  other 
state,  and  at  the  1904  International  Stock  Show  at  Chicago, 
with  a  single  exception,  Wyoming  captured  every  prize  for  the 
northwest  district. 

Development. — There  are  few  who  can  appreciate  the 
newness  of  the  western  agriculture  and  its  bearing  on  our 
development.  Farm  practices  and  other  human  institutions 
which  have  been  worked  out  through  an  hundred  or  a  thou- 
sand years  in  pluvial  districts  have  been  brought  into  arid 
America  and  made  general  use  of,  regardless  of  the  fact  that 
they  were  not  suited  to  conditions  of  climate,  soil  and  social 
relationships  so  absolutely  different  from  those  in  which  they 
had  become  established.  Regardless  of  this  fact,  our  agri- 
culture has  been  successful  from  the  first,  in  that  it  sustains  a 
people  of  continuing  and  increasing  prosperity.  Thanks  to 
the  favoring  factors  of  rich  soils  and  salubrious  climate,  agri- 
culture has  been  profitable  in  spite  of  lack  of  information  and 
mistakes  in  methods,  crops  and  laws. 

Our  knowledge  of  so  complex  a  business  as  agriculture 
is,  of  necessity,  accumulative,  and  with  the  simple  and  slight 
beginning  already  made  and  the  resulting  success,  the  imme- 
diate future  promises  vastly  more  than  can  be  stated  or 
realized. 

Our  first  agriculture  was  the  grazing  of  stock,  and  so 
remunerative  was  the  grazing  industry  that  Wyoming  be- 


APPLE  TREES  AT  CAREYHURST,  CONVERSE  COUNTY. 


AGRICULTURE  AND  HORTICULTURE:.  81 

came  famous  for  her  grass-fed  cattle,  her  range  horses  and  her 
sheep  and  wool.  With  the  passing  of  the  open  range  and  the 
establishment  of  .ranches  where  increased  amounts  of  hay  and 
forage  can  be  grown,  the  stock  industry  is  steadily  increasing, 
and  there  has  been  rapid  improvement  in  the  class  of  animals 
produced. 

But  it  is  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  both  for  the  pro- 
duction of  supplemental  stock  food  and  of  salable  crops,  that 
our  agriculture  has  developed  most  rapidly  within  the  past  ten 
years.  No  other  industry  has  kept  pace  with  this  in  growth 
and  no  other  class  of  citizens  have  so  much  to  show  for  their 
ten  years'  labor.  Ranchmen  are  prosperous  and  are  building 
homes  worthy  the  name.  With  new  incite  into  our  farming 
and  the  new  internal  improvements  which  are  now  under  way 
in  the  state,  the  present  cheap  lands  under  irrigation  must 
materially  advance  in  valuation,  and  new  crops  and  new 
markets  insure  more  rapid  improvement  in  the  future.  In 
the  language  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  there  are  no  bad 
acres  in  this  state.  All  are  useful  for  some  purpose,  and  with 
good  management  our  irrigated  lands  can  all  be  made  to  pay 
10  per  cent  or  better  on  a  valuation  of  $100  per  acre.  The 
next  ten  years  will  be  marked  by  unusual  activity  in  reclama- 
tion through  irrigation,  as  well  as  extension  of  dry  farming, 
which  will  double  and  treble  both  our  population  and  our 
land  values. 

Several  factors  make  our  farming  highly  profitable.  Some 
of  these  are,  large  areas  of  free  public  land,  good  water  supply 
which  can  be  cheaply  applied  to  the  land,  large  home  market 
at  high  prices  for  home-grown  products,  unexcelled  quality 
of  both  crops  and  flesh,  which  demands  the  best  prices  wher- 
ever they  may  be  marketed,  large  yields  from  virgin  arid 
soils  and  quick  returns  from  crops  and  stock. 

High  Altitude  Farming. — Perhaps  no  parts  of  the  state 
are  better  adapted  to  the  production  of  live  stock  than  our  ex- 
tensive high  plateaus.  The  rich  native  grasses  reach  perfec- 
tion of  growth  on  these  higher  lands  and  are  more  abundant 
and  varied  than  on  lower  areas  where  the  seasons  are  longer. 
We  find  our  short  season  hay  is  unusually  rich  in  the  flesh- 
forming  element,  nitrogen,  and  with  their  quick  growth, 
grasses  produce  less  woody  fibre  and  are  more  digestible 
when  fed  to  live  stock  than  are  grasses  that  take  a  longer 
time  to  mature.  Because  of  the  short  seasons  and  a  general 
lack  of  understanding  about  the  possibilities  of  perfecting  crops 
under  these  conditions,  the  development  of  general  farming 
has  been  slow,  even  though  at  least  one  of  the  first  large  irri- 
gating canals  to  be  constructed  was  the  Pioneer  Canal,  on 


82  THE;  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

the  Laramie  Plains,  covering  excellent  lands  a  little  more  than 
7,000  feet  above  sea  level.  In  1891  the  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  was  established  at  Laramie,  and  the  possibility 
of  remunerative  cropping  has  been  fully  demonstrated.  Crops 
suitable  to  the  season  produce  large  yields,  and  the  problems 
are  no  more  difficult  to  meet  than  those  in  any  farming  district. 
Alfalfa  is  now  a  successful  staple  crop  up  to  7,500  feet  altitude. 
Early  varieties  of  potatoes  and  other  root  crops,  oats,  barley, 
rye,  wheat,  spelts,  flax,  buckwheat,  pease  and  other  things 
are  certain  crops,  and  mixed  farming  is  becoming  established. 
There  are  still  many  opportunities  to  obtain  cheap  lands  in 
these  regions,  which  can  be  made  to  pay  for  themselves  with 
a  single  crop.  The  station  records  show  average  yields  of 
wheat,  including  all  varieties  tried,  of  over  twenty-five  bush- 
els per  acres  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  Some  maximum  yields 
of  other  crops  are,  potatoes,  522  bushels  per  acre ;  alfalfa,  4*4 
tons;  onions,  38,920  pounds;  spelts,  72  bushels;  barley  and 
oats,  more  than  80  bushels,  and  many  other  things  have  given 
large  maximum  yields  and  good  average  returns.  Three  years' 
experiments  to  determine  the  cost  and  profit  of  growing  wheat 
show  an  average  net  profit  of  more  than  $10  per  acre,  where 
done  on  a  small  scale  at  comparatively  large  expense. 

Stock  Feeding. — Within  the  past  year  there  has  been  a 
large  increase  in  the  business  of  feeding  stock  at  home  to  pre- 
pare them  for  the  eastern  market.  For  a  number  of  years 
Wyoming  hay-fed  steers  have  been  sold  for  the  block,  and  in 
many  instances  this  beef  has  gone  to  consumers  as  corn-fed. 
At  the  1904  International  Stock  Show,  in  Chicago,  Mr.  E.  J. 
Bell  of  Laramie  took  second  prize  on  a  car  load  of  grass-fed 
cattle  which  were  in  competition  with  the  best  corn-fed  beef 
that  could  be  produced  in  the  corn  belt  of  the  east.  The  Ex- 
periment Station  introduced  the  field  pea  as  food  for  fattening 
lambs,  and  the  business  of  fitting  lambs  for  market  on  pease 
promises  to  become  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  best  pay- 
ing stock  industries  of  the  state.  It  has  been  found,  also,  that 
combination  rations  of  barley  and  alfalfa,  of  flax  seed  and 
alfalfa,  with  turnips  or  other  roots,  produce  cheaper  gains 
than  corn.  Stock  feeding  will  be  one  of  the  most  remunera- 
tive and  staple  occupations  of  our  farmers." 

Dry  Farming. — There  are  about  eight  million  acres  in 
Wyoming  which  will  eventually  be  brought  under  irrigation. 
In  addition  to  this  area,  there  will  be  a  large  amount  of  land 
which  can  be  profitably  cultivated  under  systems  of  dry  farm- 
ing. Much  has  already  been  done  to  show  the  feasibility  of 
such  farming,  especially  in  those  favorable  localities  which 
present  the  right  conditions  of  soil  and  soil  moisture.  There 


AGRICULTURE  AND  HORTICULTURE:.  83 

are  drouth-resistant  crops,  such  as  Durum  wheats,  alfalfa, 
potatoes,  buckwheat,  barley,  rye,  etc.,  which  have  been  proven 
successful  with  a  small  amount  of  rainfall  distributed  as  is 
the  Wyoming  precipitation.  There  are  many  opportunities, 
also,  to  divert  the  flood  waters  of  draws  and  occasional  streams 
for  winter  irrigation  to  store  water  in  the  soil  for  the  produc- 
tion of  crops.  While  such  resources  are  as  yet  almost  un- 
touched, they  offer  an  inviting  field  to  the  man  seeking  cheap 
lands  which  will  pay  good  interest  on  the  investment. 

Low  Altitude  Farming. — Little  may  be  said  about  the 
possibilities  of  farming  under  irrigation  where  the  altitude  is 
less  than  6,000  feet.  Some  world-renowned  crops  have  been 
authenticated,  such  as  the  prize  yield  of  potatoes  of  974  bush- 
els and  48  pounds  per  acre,  produced  by  Mr.  Sturgis  in  John- 
son County;  a  yield  of  132  bushels  of  oats,  produced  in  Sher- 
idan County;  an  average  of  8y2  tons  of  alfalfa  hay  per  acre 
for  three  years,  produced  on  the  Wheatland  Experiment  Farm. 

Large  areas  are  being  reclaimed  in  Eastern  Wyoming  and 
in  the  western  and  northern  portions  of  the  state,  where  the 
lands  lie  from  3,500  to  5,000  feet  above  the  sea.  Many  of  these 
lands  are  so  well  protected  by  surrounding  ranges  of  moun- 
tains that  crops  can  be  grown  which  would  be  too  tender  for 
other  places  of  like  latitude.  These  lands  and  water  rights 
under  the  new  reclamation  projects  are  cheap  and  cannot  fail 
to  greatly  increase  in  value  within  a  short  time. 

Horticulture. — The  gardens  of  the  state  are  beginning  to 
furnish  fresh  and  unadulterated  vegetables  for  home  use.  As 
a  general  indication  of  what  may  be  done,  .we  need  only  cite 
the  fact  that  at  altitudes  of  5,000  feet  or  less  peanuts,  sweet 
potatoes,  tomatoes  and  tobacco  are  successfully  produced. 
Melons,  pumpkins,  squashes  and  other  equally  tender  things 
grow  to  perfection  at  all  save  the  high  altitudes,  and  gardens 
up  to  8,000  feet  produce  a  good  variety  of  vegetables  of  the 
best  quality. 

Among  fruits  the  hardier  kinds  are  being  grown  in  all 
parts  of  the  state.  On  the  Laramie  Plains  Jacob  Lund  has  an 
orchard  at  an  altitude  of  7,400  feet  which  matures  Wealthy 
apples  each  year.  Currants,  gooseberries,  dewberries  and 
strawberries  can  be  grown  anywhere  that  there  are  agricul- 
tural lands. 

The  horticultural  sections  of  the  state  are  the  low  altitude 
lands  and  the  protected  valleys  of  Laramie,  Johnson,  Sheridan, 
Fremont  and  Big  Horn  Counties.  In  Fremont  and  Big  Horn 
Counties  two  different  ranchmen  have  ripened  peaches  with- 
out other  protection  than  that  afforded  by  hills  and  tree  wind- 


84  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

breaks.  In  these  counties  a  large  variety  of  apples  are  bearing 
crops  of  first  quality  fruit.  Among  these  varieties  may  be 
mentioned  the  Northwest  Greening,  Gano,  Ben  Davis,  Wai- 
bridge,  Wolf  River,  Ganitan,  Yellow  Transparent,  McMahon, 
Wealthy,  Duchess,  Pewaukee,  White  Winter  Pearmain, 
Gideon  and  others,  as  well  as  a  large  variety  of  crabs.  Several 
varieties  of  pears,  cherries  and  plums  are  yielding  good  crops. 
The  possibilities  of  home-making  where  such  fruits  and  the 
more  useful  shade  trees  succeed  will  appeal  to  many. 

B.  C.  BUFFUM. 


Mineral  Resources. 


There  are  few  states  in  the  Union  that  possess  mineral 
resources  as  vast  and  varied  as  those  of  Wyoming.  The  late 
Prof.  Knight  of  the  State  University  identified  156  of  the 
varieties  of  mineral  noted  in  Dana's  System  of  Mineralogy  as 
occurring  in  Wyoming,  and  this  list  is  constantly  being  added 
to  as  the  different  formations  are  opened  up  and  understood. 

Gold,  silver,  copper  and  lead  all  have  been  known  for 
years  in  almost  every  mountain  range  in  the  state,  and  the 
work  of  the  past  two  years  has  demonstrated  beyond  a  doubt 
that  these  ores  exist  in  commercial  quantities. 

The  crying  need  of  these  resources  is  railroad  transporta- 
tion, as  both  the  quantity  and  quality  are  assured  facts,  and  it 
only  remains  to  get  them  to  market.  With  the  railroads  will 
come  the  up-to-date  mining  investor,  with  means  and  brains 
to  make  a  producing  mine  out  of  the  long  neglected  prospects. 

There  is  not  another  Rocky  Mountain  state  with  greater 
possibilities  than  Wyoming,  or  that  offers  better  opportuni- 
ties for  mineral  investments;  certainly  none  with  so  much 
public  domain  subject  to  location  as  mineral  land,  and,  be- 
sides, the  precious  metals,  the  wealth  of  coal,  oil  and  natural 
gas  will  some  day  make  Wyoming  as  great  a  producing  and 
manufacturing  state  as  Pennsylvania  is  today. 

Gold  Mining. — Gold  mines  were  first  worked  at  South 
Pass,  Fremont  County,  in  1867,  since  which  date  the  industry 
has  amounted  to  something  each  year.  The  annual  production 
has  fluctuated  from  $25,000  to  $125,000,  the  total  being  esti- 
mated at  $4,000,000  produced. 

The  placer  mines  that  were  rich  enough  to  be  worked  with 
limited  means  were  worked  out  long  ago.  Large  tracts  of 
placer  gold  ground,  that  can  only  be  worked  with  great 
expenditure  of  money  and  the  most  modern  and  economical 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  85 

devices,  remain.  These  are  now  owned  by  large  companies, 
who  are  arranging  to  work  some  of  them.  The  quartz  veins, 
from  which  most  of  the  gold  produced  has  been  taken,  are 
found  in  all  the  mountain  districts,  the  most  promising  of 
which  are  as  follows:  South  Pass  and  Atlantic,  in  Fremont 
County;  Seminoe,  Medicine  Bow  and  Sierra  Madre  Moun- 
tains, in  Carbon  County;  Black  Hills,  Crook  County;  Sho- 
shone  Mountains,  Big  Horn  County,  and  the  Laramie  Hills. 

Silver  and  Lead. — These  metals  are  found  in  small  quan- 
tities in  all  the  prominent  ranges.  Galena  is  the  usual  ore 
carrying  silver,  but  at  the  Esterbrook  mine,  in  Northern 
Albany  County,  a  vein  of  cerusite  or  silicious  lead  carbonate 
has  been  found.  The  silver  values  vary  from  ten  to  six  hun- 
dred ounces  per  ton,  and  the  lead  from  twenty  to  sixty  per 
cent  in  commercial  ores.  Shipments  have  been  made  from 
camps  in  Crook,  Big  Horn,  Albany  and  Laramie  Counties. 

Copper. — During  the  past  five  years  copper  in  commer- 
cial quantities  has  been  found  in  nearly  all  of  the  thirteen 
counties  of  the  state  and  development  work  is  being  actively 
pushed.  The  principal  ore  is  usually  a  chalcopyrite  or  yellow 
sulphide  of  copper,  associated  with  the  rarer  forms.  These 
forms  are  usually  covered  by  a  capping  of  oxidized  iron,  in 
which  the  oxidized  forms  of  copper,  usually  the  blue  and  green 
carbonates,  are  found.  The  Grand  Encampment  Copper  Dis- 
trict, in  Southern  Wyoming,  is  the  leading  producer,  and 
active  camps  are  established  in  the  Laramie  Hills,  Shoshone 
Mountains,  Owl  Mountains,  the  Wind  River  Range  and  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains. 

Coal. — Coal  mining  has  been  the  leading  mineral  industry 
in  the  state,  and  will,  in  all  probability,  continue  in  the  front 
rank  for  a  time,  though  copper  is  fast  gaining  upon  it.  It  had 
its  origin  with  the  advent  of  the  transcontinental  railroad,  and 
has  increased  with  the  development  of  the  state,  until  today  it 
employs  10,000  workmen  and  has  a  production  of  4,996,828 
tons  of  coal  per  annum. 

The  kinds  of  coal  vary  from  a  pure  lignite  to  a  high  grade 
long-flamed  bituminous  variety.  The  best  grades  of  coal  are 
low  in  sulphur  and  ash,  and  are  excellent  fuels  for  locomotives, 
general  steam  making,  domestic  purposes  and  gas  production. 

A  semi-anthracite  was  discovered  in  Johnson  County  in 
1887.  Coking  coal  has  been  discovered  in  two  or  three  locali- 
ties, and  seventy-four  Beehive  coke  ovens  are  operated  at 
Cambria,  Weston  County,  having  an  output  of  over  20,000 
tons  per  annum.  All  coke  so  far  manufactured  in  this  state 
has  been  made  at  Cambria,  and  Wyoming  stands  eleventh  in 
the  coke-producing  states. 


86 


THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


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MINERAL  RESOURCES. 


The  coal  fields  are  so  universal  that  commercial  coal  is 
known  to  exist  in  every  county,  and,  in  all  but  one,  coal  mines 
are  worked.  The  area  of  workable  coal  land  is  over  20,000 
square  miles.  The  coal  veins  are  numerous.  It  is  not  an  un- 
common thing  to  find  six  or  eight  workable  veins  in  a  single 
field.  In  thickness  the  seams  vary  from  a  few  inches  to  75 
feet.  The  coal  mines  operated  at  present  have  working  veins 
varying  from  four  to  forty  feet.  The  coal  lands  are  owned,  to 
a  large  extent,  by  the  government,  but  are  subject  to  location. 
Already  three  great  railroads  have  penetrated  these  fields,  but 
the  industry  has  only  started,  and  by  the  close  of  another 
quarter  of  a  century  Wyoming  will  be  producing  not  less  than 
10,000,000  tons  of  coal  per  annum. 

Wyoming  stands  twelfth  in  the  list  of  coal-producing 
states,  and  while  the  amount  produced  in  other  states  has 
remained  stationary  in  the  past  two  years,  the  amount  pro- 
duced in  Wyoming  has  increased  twenty  per  cent. 

Statement  of  Coal  Output  for  Year  Ending  September  30,  1904. 


DISTRICT  NO.    I. 


Owner. 

Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co.  . 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Union  Pac.  Coal  Co. 
Kemmerer  Coal  Co.  . 
Kemmerer  Coal  Co.  . 
Diamond  C.  &  C.  Co. 
Diamond  C.  &  C.  Co. 
Diamond  C.  &  C.  Co. 
Central  C.  &  C.  Co.. 
Central  C.  &  C.  Co.. 
Rocky  Mt.C.&C.  Co 
Kemmerer  Coal  Co.  . 
Kemmerer  Coal  Co.  . 


Tons, 

Men, 

Address. 

Mine. 

1904. 

1904. 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

i.  . 

43MI9 

542 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

7" 

270,929 

328 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

8.. 

301,276 

328 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

9.. 

265,323 

337 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

10.  . 

336,946 

275 

Cumberland  .  . 

.No. 

i  .  . 

423 

.Cumberland  .  . 

.No. 

2.  . 

445.332 

.Spring  Valley. 

.No. 

I  .  . 

1  80 

.Hanna  

.No. 

I.  . 

262,102 

485 

.Kemmerer  .   .  . 

.No. 

I  .  . 

187,312 

265 

.Kemmerer  .   .  . 

.No. 

3-- 

50,463 

78 

.Diamondville  . 

.No. 

i  .  . 

331,549 

296 

.Diamondville  . 

.No. 

2.  . 

i8i,574 

1  88 

.Diamondville  . 

.No. 

4.. 

14,140 

8 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

2.  . 

189,497 

2,520 

.Rock  Springs.. 

.No. 

3-  • 

106,309 

1,223 

.Almy  

.No. 

5-- 

7,106 

20 

.Willow  Creek. 

.No. 

4" 

500 

10 

.Willow  Creek. 

.No. 

5" 

2,850 

10 

Totals,  District  No.  i 3,956,586     7,857 


88  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

DISTRICT  NO.  2. 

Tons,  Men, 

Owner.                           Address.  1904.  1904. 

Sheridan  Coal  Co Sheridan,  Wyo.  . .  .  429,153  500 

Cambria  Fuel  Co Cambria,   Wyo....  396,657  600 

Glenrock  Coal  Co Glenrock,  Wyo.  . .  .  60,440  135 

Cole  Creek  Coal  Co Big  Muddy,  Wyo.  .  12,087  62 

Stillwell  Coal  Co Aladdin,  Wyo 8,306  30 

Wyoming  Coal  Mining  Co  .Monarch,  Wyo.  .  .  .  108,599      

Carney  Coal  Co Carney sville,  Wyo.  4,936  .... 

Mined  at  Thermopolis,  Meteetse,  Cody,  Sher- 
idan, Douglas,  Casper,  Lander  and  other 

places  not  reported  (estimated) 20,064  .... 


Totals,  District  No.  2 1,040,242     1,320 

Totals  for  state,  1904 4,996,828     9,177 

(From  reports  of  Coal  Mine  Inspectors,  1904.) 

Natural  Gas. — Accompanying  the  oil  fields  are  numerous 
natural  gas  horizons.  The  gas  pressure  in  the  oil  wells  near 
Lander  is  very  great  and  gas  escapes  are  found  at  or  near  most 
of  the  oil  springs.  At  Brenning  Basin,  near  Douglas,  in  Con- 
verse County,  a  flow  of  gas  has  been  struck  in  several  wells, 
at  a  depth  of  500  feet,  and  the  gas  has  been  piped  and  used  for 
fuel  and  light  in  the  vicinity,  a  pressure  of  300  pounds  per 
square  inch  having  been  noted.  In  the  eastern  part  of  Fremont 
County  there  are  two  natural  gas  escapes  that  are  wonders. 
Some  prospectors  have  dug  shallow  shafts  and  curbed  them 
up  with  logs ;  the  shafts  are  partially  filled  with  water  and  the 
gas  escapes  with  such  violence  as  to  cause  the  water  in  them 
to  boil  as  though  in  a  cauldron.  There  are  numerous  anti- 
clinals  in  the  state  that  are  not  associated  with  the  oil  dis- 
tricts, where  large  flows  of  gas  may  be  looked  for. 

Bituminous  Shale. — In  the  Green  River  Valley  and  at 
Rock  Springs  there  are  great  bands  of  rich  bituminous  shale, 
that  equal  the  shales  of  Scotland,  where  an  army  of  men  are 
employed  and  the  production  is  sold  for  millions  of  dollars  per 
annum.  The  shales  are  burnt  in  a  retort,  and  the  products 
saved  are  gas,  oil,  tar  and  ammonium  sulphate.  The  richest 
of  these  shales  assay  45  per  cent  of  volatile  matter. 

Volcanic  Ash. — In  several  localities  in  Wyoming  volcanic 
ash  has  been  found.  In  Albany  County,  near  Laramie,  there 
is  a  bed  four  feet  in  depth.  It  is  almost  white  and  is  so  fine 
that  the  greater  portion  of  it  will  pass  through  a  loo-mesh 
sieve.  Samples  of  equal  purity  have  been  examined  from 
Carbon  and  Sweetwater  Counties.  This  material  is  used  for 
scouring  purposes.  It  is  the  base  of  sapolio,  and  is  also  used 
in  the  geyserite  soap. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  gg 

Graphite. — Veins  of  graphite  are  known  at  French  Creek, 
Plumbago  Canon  and  Halleck  Canon,  in  Albany  County,  and 
in  the  Indian  Grove  Mountains,  in  Carbon  County.  The  veins 
are  large  and  easily  accessible.  Analyses  of  samples  from  the 
various  localities  show  the  carbon  contents  to  vary  from  40 
to  60  per  cent.  So  far  as  known,  the  ore  is  of  the  amorphous 
variety  and  would  make  good  fire-proof  paint,  stove  polish  or 
graphite  crucibles. 

Asphaltum. — Along  the  north  side  of  the  Rattlesnake 
Mountains  there  are  several  deposits  of  asphaltum  that  occur 
below  the  oil  springs.  There  is  also  another  bed  on  the  Sho- 
shone  Reservation,  east  of  Fort  Washakie.  This  has  been 
formed  about  an  oil  spring  and  contains  several  thousand  tons. 
The  quality  is  excellent,  quite  free  from  foreign  matter,  and 
it  would  make  a  splendid  paving  material. 

Manganese  Ores. — Ores  that  fall  under  this  class  have 
been  found  in  Albany,  Crook,  Sweetwater  and  Uinta  Counties. 
The  development  is  only  slight,  since  the  discoveries  are  too 
far  from  railroads  to  warrant  shipments.  The  ores  are  good 
grade,  and  are  found  in  good  sized  veins.  Samples  from  dif- 
ferent localities  vary  from  40  to  55  per  cent  manganese. 

Epsom  Salts. — Epsom  salts  can  be  found  in  small  quan- 
tities throughout  the  arid  region,  but  in  Wyoming  it  is  found 
in  large  beds.  Near  Rock  "Creek  there  is  a  depression  contain- 
ing about  ninety  acres  that  is  covered  with  this  salt.  The 
exact  depth  is  not  known.  In  this  immediate  vicinity  there 
are  several  other  beds,  the  total  area  of  the  Epsom  Salt  Lakes 
being  given  at  160  acres.  The  salt  is  as  pure  as  the  com- 
mercial product  that  sells  in  our  drug  stores  for  ten  cents  per 
ounce.  These  deposits  are  near  the  railroad,  and,  if  properly 
handled,  should  enable  a  company  to  control  the  Epsom  salt 
trade  of  America. 

Building  Stone. — Building  stones  of  innumerable  varieties 
are  common  throughout  the  state.  The  sandstone  quarries  at 
Rawlins,  Carbon  County,  have  a  large  output,  which  is  shipped 
to  Colorado,  Utah  and  Nebraska.  The  capitol  and  federal 
buildings  at  Cheyenne  and  the  State  Penitentiary  are  built  of 
this  stone.  In  Laramie  County  the  Iron  Mountain  quarries 
furnish  a  beautiful  white  stone,  which  is  much  in  favor.  Gran- 
ite, sandstone,  limestone,  quartzites,  serpentine  marble  and 
marble  onyx  are  included  in  the  varieties. 

Gypsum. — This  mineral  is  very  common  and  is  found  in 
all  varieties.  Beds  varying  from  20  to  100  feet  in  thickness 
are  exposed  along  the  mountain  ranges.  The  mineral  is  very 
pure,  and  can  be  utilized  for  purposes  where  gypsum  is  re- 
quired. 


9Q  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Plaster  of  Paris. — The  Rocky  Mountain  Plaster  Company 
is  operating  a  plaster  mill  at  Red  Buttes.  There  is  room  and 
material  in  sight  to  supply  a  thousand  mills ;  in  fact,  Wyo- 
ming could  furnish  the  world  with  plaster  of  paris  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  and  then  not  consider  the  beds  exhausted. 

Natural  Plaster. — In  a  few  localities  deposits  of  what  has 
been  called  a  natural  plaster  have  been  found.  The  mineral 
occurs  in  superficial  deposits,  varying  from  two  to  six  feet  in 
depth.  It.  is  pulverulent  and  has  a  light  gray  color.  When  a 
portion  of  the  water  has  been  driven  off,  it  sets  and  forms  a 
very  hard  cement. 

Clays. — Pressed  and  common  brick  are  manufactured  in 
the  state,  but  at  present  there  are  ho  other  clay  industries. 
The  clay  beds  are  in  abundance  and  are  found  in  every  county 
in  the  state.  Common  brick  clay,  fire  clay,  tile  and  terra  cotta 
clay  and  potters'  clay  are  found  in  thick  beds  in  the  sedimentary 
rocks,  and  not  in  superficial  deposits,  as  they  are  usually  seen 
in  the  northern  and  eastern  states.  Bentonite,  or  "soap  clay," 
is  found  in  many  parts  of  the  state,  and  shipments  have  been 
made  from  the  beds  at  Rock  Creek,  Albany  County,  and  New- 
castle, Weston  County,  a  number  of  cars  being  shipped  every 
year  from  each  place.  This  clay  is  used  as  an  adulterant,  as 
a  filler  in  paper  making  and  for  medical  purposes,  being 
worked  up  and  sold  under  the  name  of  "Antiphlogistine." 

By  analysis  this  clay  contains  silica,  alumina,  iron,  mag- 
nesia, sulphur  and  water,  samples  having  shown  over  89  per 
cent  of  silica  and  alumina,  I  per  cent  of  iron,  3  per  cent  mag- 
nesia, iy2  per  cent  lime  and  sulphur,  and  6  per  cent  water. 
Some  of  these  deposits  have  no  iron,  magnesia  or  sulphur. 
One  of  them  has  3  per  cent  iron  and  3  per  cent  magnesia. 

Nearly  every  small  town  has  brick  yards  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  as  the  clays  are  universal,  and  some  remarkably  fine 
commercial  brick  are  made.  The  clay  also  makes  very  fine 
tiling  for  floors,  fireplaces  and  all  kinds  of  pottery  and  piping. 

Tin. — Black  oxide  of  tin  has  been  known  in  veins  and  as 
stream  tin  in  the  Wyoming  portion  of  the  Black  Hills  for 
many  years.  Tons  of  stream  tin  have  been  mined  and  sold. 
The  veins  are  slightly  developed.  There  are  good  veins  of  tin 
of  average  richness,  and  before  many  years  the  tin  mines  of 
Dakota  and  Wyoming  will  be  worked.  Wyoming  gained  a 
medal  at  the  World's  Fair  for  her  exhibit  of  stream  tin. 

Salt. — Near  Cambria,  Weston  County,  a  plant  has  been 
built  to  manufacture  salt  from  Salt  Springs,  the  water  of  which 
contains  22  per  cent  salt,  and  other  springs  equally  fine  are 
noted  in  Johnson  and  Uinta  Counties.  In  the  latter  place  salt 
is  produced  for  local  consumption. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  91 

Quartz. — The  Laramie  Mountains  abound  in  large  veins 
of  pure  quartz.  When  ground,  it  is  valuable  for  glass  making. 

Glass  Sand. — There  are  numerous  places  in  the  state  where 
glass  sand  is  found.  The  beds  near  Laramie  have  been  worked 
and  proven. 

Mica. — Muscovite  mica,  the  mica  of  commerce,  is  very 
plentiful  in  Wyoming,  but  there  are  only  a  few  localities  where 
it  has  been  found  in  "book"  of  sufficient  size  to  warrant  mining. 
In  Whalen  Canon,  some  eight  or  ten  miles  from  Hartville,  and 
at  Grand  Encampment,  there  are  numerous  large  veins  of  feld- 
spar containing  first-class  mica.  The  former  has  been  worked 
to  some  extent  and  a  small  shipment  made.  Sheets  squaring 
six  inches  have  been  taken  out  near  the  surface.  It  is  first 
quality  in  every  respect. 

Feldspar. — Orthoclase  feldspar  occurs  in  large  veins  in 
Whalen  Canon.  It  is  free  from  detrimental  minerals  and  is 
suitable  for  all  purposes  where  orthoclase  could  be  used. 

Sulphur. — Extensive  deposits  of  native  sulphur  are  known 
in  Uinta  County.  The  crude  brimstone  assays  from  40  to  70 
per  cent  of  sulphur.  There  are  also  very  extensive  deposits 
above  Cody,  on  the  Shoshone  River,  and  on  Sunlight  Creek, 
north  of  Cody. 

Bismuth. — Bismuth  ore  of  rare  purity  has  been  mined  at 
Jelm  Mountain,  and  shipped  to  the  east  for  reduction.  The 
ore  is  a  mixture  of  carbonates  and  metallic  bismuth,  and  assays 
from  50  to  65  per  cent. 

Sulphate  of  Aluminum. — This  mineral,  which  is  usually 
called  native  alum,  occurs  in  extensive  deposits  in  Sweetwater 
and  Big  Horn  Counties.  It  is  the  principal  salt  used  in  manu- 
facturing commercial  alums,  and  for  this  purpose  it  should  be 
used  in  connection  with  the  natural  soda. 

Fibrous  Talc. — A  very  large  vein  of  fibrous  talc  exists  in 
the  range  of  mountains  west  of  Wheatland.  The  quality  is  ex- 
cellent. This  mineral  is  used  extensively  in  the  east,  and  as 
soon  as  the  proper  transportation  can  be  furnished  the  Wyo- 
ming deposits  will  be  worked. 

Decomposed  Granite. — Some  seven  years  ago  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  commenced  loading  decomposed 
granite  from  a  point  near  Sherman  and  hauling  it  out  as  bal- 
last. It  was  found  to  be  far  superior  to  any  other  stone  for 
this  purpose,  but  it  was  also,  to  some  extent,  sold  for  road 
building  in  cities,  a  use  to  which  it  is  well  adapted. 


92  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Natural  Pigments. — Soft  iron  ores  have  been  used  for  red 
paint  for  years.  For  many  years  paint  mills  were  operated  at 
Rawlins.  The  Brooklyn  bridge  was  originally  painted  with 
this  paint.  More  recently  the  ore  has  been  shipped  to  other 
states  to  be  ground.  The  soft  hematite  ores  are  in  large  bodies 
and  make  a  first-class  paint.  Ochres  of  various  shades  are 
known,  but  the  beds  have  not  been  worked.  Graphite  and  the 
low  grade  asbestos  that  would  make  an  excellent  fire-proof 
paint  are  found  in  large  bodies. 

Semi-Precious  Stones. — The  semi-precious  stones  are  in 
abundance.  Quartz  crystals,  agates,  jaspers,  moss-agates,  pet- 
rified wood,  garnets  and  beryls  are  the  important  ones.  The 
moss-agates  are  the  best  found  in  the  world.  Thus  far  no 
precious  stones  have  been  reported. 

Asbestos. — There  are  two  minerals  calls  asbestos,  one  a 
serpentine  and  the  other  amphibole.  The  latter  is  the  true 
asbestos,  but  the  former  is  sold  under  the  same  name  and  used 
in  the  same  way.  The  asbestos  that  is  found  in  Wyoming, 
with  the  exception  of  small  specimens,  belongs  to  the  serpen- 
tine variety  and  is  known  as  crysolite.  Valuable  deposits  of 
this  mineral  have  been  found  in  Natrona,  Albany  and  Carbon 
Counties.  Natrona  County  has  marketed  some  of  the  mineral, 
and  with  a  railroad  into  the  central  portion  of  the  state,  a 
trade  in  this  mineral  can  readily  be  built  up,  as  workable  de- 
posits are  known  to  exist  in  the  Seminoe  Mountains. 

Natural  Soda. — Extensive  deposits  of  natural  soda  are 
known  in  Carbon,  Natrona  and  Albany  Counties.  Numerous 
springs  contain  considerable  soda,  and  at  Green  River  a  well 
yields  a  saturated  solution  of  sodium  carbonate,  which  is 
shipped  by  the  car  load.  The  deposits  vary  in  size  from  a  few 
to  one  hundred  acres,  and  the  soda  ranges  from  a  few  inches 
to  sixteen  feet,  and  possibly  more.  These  deposits  are  chiefly 
sodium  sulphate,  but  there  are  carbonates  and  bi-carbonates 
in  some  localities.  Along  the  Sweetwater  River  there  are  de- 
posits that  contain  60  per  cent  carbonate  of  soda.  The  sul- 
phate, when  dried  and  calcined,  has  been  sold  in  the  east  for 
glass  making,  and  was  used  at  the  Laramie  Glass  Factory. 
With  proper  machinery,  these  great  beds  of  soda  can  be  util- 
ized and  would  bring  in  a  large  revenue. 

The  most  valuable  natural  soda  discovered  in  Wyoming 
is  what  is  known  as  sodium  carbonate,  or  the  sal  soda  of  com- 
merce, and  can  be  derived  in  inexhaustible  quantities  from 
wells,  averaging  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  at  Green  River, 
the  county  seat  of  Sweetwater  County,  and  on  the  line  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad.  Samples  of  water  taken  from  num- 
erous wells  at  Green  River  yield  an  analysis  of  20  per  cent  of 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  93 

sal  soda  crystals.  Prof.  Gilbert  C.  Wheeler  of  Chicago,  a 
chemist  of  acknowledged  reputation,  furnishes  the  Green 
River  Fuel  and  Oil  Company  with  the  following  analysis  of 
the  crude  soda  of  Green  River : 

Silica 0.51 

Iron  and  aluminum 0.42 

Calcium 0.64 

Magnesium 0.27 

Insoluble  residue 0.23 

Water 22-57 

Anhydrous  carbonate  of  soda 75-36 

100.00 

This  is  practically  more  pure  than  the  sal  soda  of  com- 
merce. 

Mineral  Springs. — Wyoming  is  prominent  for  her  mineral 
springs.  If  we  take  into  our  estimate  the  Yellowstone  Park, 
this  alone  surpasses  the  rest  of  the  world  in  the  number  and 
magnificence  of  its  waters.  The  mineral  springs  include  hot, 
cold,  sulphur,  iron  and  the  alkaline  earths,  and  genuine  mud 
springs.  Notable  ones,  but  by  no  means  the  most  important, 
are  at  Death  Lake,  where  they  number  more  than  four  hun- 
dred. 

A  group  of  some  fifty  famous  hot  springs  in  the  Platte 
Valley  at  Saratoga,  in  Carbon  County,  have  a  temperature  of 
130°  F.,  have  been  extensively  improved  and  have  been  used 
for  twenty  years  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  invalid  visitor. 

At  Thermopolis,  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin,  the  hot  springs 
have  an  analysis  nearly  identical  with  the  waters  at  the  Hot 
Springs,  Arkansas.  These  are  protected  by  state  law,  and  are 
under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Charities  and  Reform. 

A  famous  hot  spring  is  located  two  miles  west  of  Fort 
Washakie,  on  the  Shoshone  Reservation.  This  spring  is  320 
feet  long  by  250  feet  broad,  with  an  average  temperature  of 
149°  F.  The  minerals  held  in  solution  are  medicinal.  It  is 
held  in  great  repute  by  both  whites  and  Indians  as  curative  of 
rheumatism  and  neuralgia. 

In  Beaver  Canon,  north  of  Sheep  Mountain,  in  Carbon 
County,  a  sulphur  spring,  with  a  temperature  of  90°  F.,  is 
found,  and  near  by  are  cold  springs,  which  contain  soda  in 
solution,  sulphur,  iron,  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  carbonic 
acid.  Another  equally  large,  of  sulphur,  having  a  tempera- 
ture of  97°  F.,  exists  near  Lander,  Fremont  County,  and  is 
much  sought  by  the  people  outside  of  the  state  suffering  with 
stomach,  kidney,  liver  and  bowel  disorders. 

A  spring  with  a  temperature  of  108°  F.  is  located  ten 
miles  below  old  Fort  Laramie;  another  at  the  head  of  West 


94  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

Horse  Creek,  whose  temperature  is  104°  F. ;  still  another  in 
the  Platte  Canon,  at  the  east  end  of  the  Seminoe  Mountains, 
having  a  temperature  of  98°  F.  There  are  many  other  springs 
scattered  throughout  the  state,  whose  analysis  suggests  that 
they  possess  valuable  medicinal  qualities,  but,  owing  to  the 
limited  number  of  people,  lack  of  transportation  and  conse- 
quent small  demand  for  mineral  water,  it  has  been  impossible 
to  develop  many  of  them. 

Limestone. — The  unprecedented  demand  for  a  pure  lime- 
stone, to  be  used  in  the  sugar  beet  factories  in  Colorado,  has 
developed  a  trade  at  Laramie,  Albany  County,  and  Hartville, 
Laramie  County,  and  some  thousands  of  tons  are  shipped 
annually  from  these  quarries.  The  limestone  is  very  pure, 
containing  98  per  cent  calcium  carbonate,  writh  very  little 
silica,  or  injurious  materials.  This  same  stone  exists  in  many 
other  parts  of  the  state,  and  factories  may  be  assured  of  a 
constant  supply  in  almost  any  locality  where  the  beets  can 
be  grown. 

Iron. — Second  to  those  of  no  state  in  the  Union  are  the 
deposits  of  iron  ore.  Prospecting  along  this  line  has  not  been 
carried  on  to  any  extent,  and  only  iron  districts  reasonably 
near  the  railroad  have  received  any  attention.  The  greatest 
deposits  are  the  red  hematite,  quite  free  from  sulphur  and 
phosphorus,  and  low  in  silica.  The  only  districts  where  de- 
velopment or  mining  has  been  carried  on  are  Hartville,  Raw- 
lins  and  Seminoe.  In  these  camps  are  large  deposits  of  soft 
ore,  which  makes  an  excellent  pigment.  The  hard  ores  are 
found  beneath  the  surface  in  bodies  varying  from  ten  to  one 
hundred  feet  in  thickness.  Rawlins  and  Hartville  or  Guernsey 
have  furnished  thousands  of  tons  of  ore  to  be  used  by  the  Salt 
Lake  and  Denver  smelters  as  a  flux  for  lead  and  copper  smelt- 
ing, and  two  railroads  have  been  built  to  the  Hartville  mines. 
Besides  the  hematite,  there  are  great  deposits  of  magnetite  in 
the  Laramie  Mountains,  and  beds  of  clay  ironstone  in  the 
cretaceous  rocks  in  several  localities.  Hematite  ore  has  been 
found  in  Crook,  Uinta,  Johnson,  Fremont,  Big  Horn,  Albany 
and  Sheridan  Counties.  The  ores  examined  are  of  exceptional 
purity. 

Iron  Mines  at  Guernsey. — The  Hartville  iron  range  in  Lar- 
amie County,  now  known  throughout  the  country  as  containing 
the  finest  and  most  extensive  deposits  of  Bessemer  steel  ores  in 
the  world,  has  become  a  scene  of  vast  operations.  Two  rail- 
roads, the  Burlington  and  the  Colorado  and  Wyoming,  have 
been  built  into  these  fields.  The  mines  now  being  worked 
are  owned  by  the  Wyoming  Railway  and  Iron  Company  and 
held  under  lease  by  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  95 

This  company  has  a  capital  of  $25,000,000,  and  is  rapidly  en- 
larging its  plant  at  Pueblo,  Colo.,  making  it  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  country.  The  mines  are  located  at  Sunrise,  in  the  center 
of  the  iron  belt,  where  a  town  has  been  built,  and  the  work  is 
progressing  on  an  extensive  scale. 

The  ore  is  mined  in  great  open  cuts,  where  the  ore  is 
blasted  down  from  the  sides  and  loaded  into  cars  by  steam 
shovels,  three  of  which  are  in  active  use  daily,  the  cars  being 
run  into  the  cuts  on  side  tracks  from  the  main  railroad  and  the 
ore  shipped  direct  from  the  cuts  with  as  little  handling  as  pos- 
sible. In  this  manner  over  600,000  gross  tons  of  ore  have  been 
mined,  which,  at  a  mine  value  of  $1.50  per  ton,  gives  $900,000 
worth  of  crude  iron  ore.  A  three-compartment  shaft,  350  feet 
deep,  has  been  sunk,  and  three  levels  run  to  develop  the  under- 
lying beds  of  iron  ore  hitherto  neglected.  This  department 
will  greatly  increase  the  output  of  the  mines  and  be  a  perma- 
nent part  of  the  work. 

The  known  area  of  the  iron  belt,  which  begins  at  Guernsey, 
on  the  south,  and  runs  to  the  head  of  Whalen  Canon,  in  a 
northeasterly  direction,  ten  miles,  with  an  average  width  of 
three  miles,  covers  thirty  square  miles.  The  greatness  of  the 
deposit  is  shown  by  the  fact  that,  although  the  Colorado  Fuel 
and  Iron  Company  has  a  lease  of  seventy-two  patented  claims, 
the  present  enormous  output  is  obtained  by  working  only  two 
mines. 

The  ores  are  exceptionally  pure  and  of  the  highest  grade 
known,  showing  from  65  to  68  per  cent  metallic  iron,  from  2^2 
to  5  per  cent  silica,  and  are  practically  free  from  sulphur  and 
phosphorus. 

Rawlins  Hematite. — Two  miles  north  of  Rawlins,  Carbon 
County,  there  is  a  large  deposit  of  red  hematite  ore,  occurring 
in  a  metamorphosed  sandstone  capped  with  limestone.  The 
ore  is  remarkably  pure,  and  in  this  vicinity  there  are  several 
other  locations  which  contain  similar  deposits. 

Analysis  of  Rawlins  Hematite. 

Peroxide  of  iron 94.22 

Silica 1.71 

Sulphur 1.24 

Phosphorus Trace 

Titanic  acid None 

Water 37 

Ca.,  Mg.  and  Mn No  estimate 

Seminoe  Iron  Deposits. — One  of  the  largest  deposits  of 
iron  in  Wyoming  occurs  in  the  Seminoe  Mountains,  at  the 
foot  of  Bradley's  Peak,  Carbon  County.  Bradley's  Peak  has 


96  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

been  called  a  mountain  of  iron  ore,  containing  not  less  than 
1,500,000  tons,  and  when  development  is  begun  here  this  local- 
ity will  furnish  an  important  part  of  the  iron  ore  to  be  smelted 
in  Wyoming,  as  this  ore  can  be  mined  and  loaded  in  the  cars 
for  fifteen  cents  per  ton. 

The  following  comparative  analyses  show  the  superiority 
of  Wyoming  iron  ores  over  other  iron  ores  of  repute : 

Seminoe.     Pilot  Knob.  Lake  Superior. 

Iron 67.66  59.15  60.69 

Oxygen  .  . .  .  .28.99  25-23  26.01 

Silica 72  13.27  9.82 

Lime 1.23                     .21  .57 

Magnesia 68                     .14  .24 

Alumina 21  2.19  1.64 

Titanic  acid 04  ....  .... 

Phosphoric  oxide .04  .14 

Sulphur ....  .02 

Four-ninths  of  the  phosphoric  oxide  is  the  amount  of  phos- 
phorus. 

GOLD  DISTRICTS. 

The  South  Pass  Gold  District,  Fremont  County. 

This  district  is  situated  in  the  south  central  part  of  Fre- 
mont County,  Wyoming,  near  the  southern  end  of  the  Wind 
River  range  of  mountains. 

The  completion  of  the  new  line  of  the  Burlington  road 
to  be  built  up  the  Big  Horn  River  from  Garland  to  Lander, 
and  that  of  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  to  be  built  from 
Casper  to  Lander,  will  bring  this  district  within  thirty-five 
miles  of  a  railroad,  and  it  is  more  than  possible  that  branches 
will  be  run  to  the  mines  and  greatly  facilitate  the  operation 
of  properties  in  this  section. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  this  region  in  1842,  and  from  that 
time  until  1869  efforts  were  made  to  work  the  rich  placers 
known  to  exist  there,  when  the  great  rush  to  South  Pass  oc- 
curred in  the  latter  year,  and  the  placers  rich  enough  to  pay 
when  worked  on  a  limited  crude  scale  were  promptly  worked 
out  and  the  miners  sought  other  opportunities  in  the  then  new 
fields  of  Colorado  and  Montana. 

Geology. — The  district  may  be  said  to  consist  of  an  island 
of  metamorphic  schists  of  the  Algonkian  period  lying  upon  the 
granites  of  the  Archean  and  with  several  intrusions  of  granite* 
and  dyke  rocks  in  the  schists  at  different  localities.  The  gran- 
ites of  this  section  of  the  Wind  River  Range  are  usually  the 
common  red  feldsitic  granite,  and  here  show  an  occasional 
gray  granite  island  or  band,  usually  of  limited  extent. 


I 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  97 

The  schists  show  for  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles  long, 
from  ten  to  twelve  miles  wide,  the  longer  axis  bearing  north- 
easterly and  southwesterly,  in  the  same  general  direction  as  the 
strike  of  the  schists,  and  with  a  general  dip  to  the  north,  vary- 
ing from  45  degrees  to  the  perpendicular.  Around  these  schists 
are  the  granites  on  the  northwest  and  the  succeeding  sedimen- 
tary formations  on  the  northeast  and  the  tertiary  formations 
on  the  southerly  sides. 

Nearly  all  the  rocks  of  this  region,  but  especially  the  above 
mentioned  schists,  show  strong  evidence  of  alteration  and 
change,  in  many  instances  giving  an  appearance  entirely  for- 
eign to  the  character 'of  rock,  but  an  examination  with  an  ordi- 
nary field  lens  is  often  sufficient  to  determine  the  true  character 
at  once.  This  altering  material  is  usually  silica,  and  where  the 
rocks  are  weathered  as  on  an  exposed  outcrop,  a  hard  quartzose 
character  is  noted,  and  these  are  frequently  called  "dykes,"  but 
are  simply  altered  schists  and  frequently  carry  gold  values. 
Dykes  occur  in  these  schists,  especially  at  the  old  Miner's 
Delight  mine  at  Peabody  Hill,  where  diorite  and  diabase  dykes 
are  noted  ;  at  the  Mary  Ellen  Hill,  near  Atlantic ;  at  the  Carissa 
at  South  Pass,  and  along  the  northwesterly  edge  of  the  schist 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Little  Joe,  and  at  Gold  Creek. 

At  the  Miner's  Delight  dykes  of  porphyritic  material  are 
noted,  and  these  extend  to  the  "Rustler  belt,"  north  of  Atlantic 
City,  where  the  Mormon  Crevice  and  Poiree  estate  properties 
have  produced  very  rich  ore. 

The  Carissa  Mine  at  South  Pass. — This  property,  located 
in  1867,  has  been  a  phenomenal  producer  for  many  years,  and 
development  work  is  being  carried  on  at  the  present  time.  The 
development  consists  of  some  2,300  feet  of  drifting,  etc.,  with 
a  shaft  384  feet  deep ;  following  the  dip  to  the  vein,  equipped 
with  hoist  and  necessary  appliances  for  handling  the  ore.  The 
Carissa  ore  occurs  in  quartz  lenses,  lying  in  the  schist,  having 
the  same  dip  and  strike  as  the  .schist,  and  these  lenses  occur  at 
irregular  intervals. 

Associated  with  the  quartz  lenses  are  bodies  of  mineralized 
schist  carrying  pay  values  in  gold,  and  lying  between  or  near 
the  lenses  have  been  found  schist  ores  of  very  high  grade,  but 
with  the  usual  intervals  of  lower  grade  material  in  the  same 
ore. 

Until  recently  the  development  of  these  ores  has  been  car- 
ried on  on  the  high  grade  lenses  only  and  the  low  grade  ores 
practically  ignored,  owing  to  lack  of  facilities  for  treating  them 
profitably,  but  during  the  past  year  a  cross-cut  has  been  run 
west  from  the  lower  or  400  level  and  the  occurrence  condition 
of  these  low  grade  ores  determined.  This  cross-cut  is  180 


98  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

feet  long  and  cut  through  a  series  of  quartz  lenses  and  schist 
leads,  which  were  found  to  vary  in  value  from  a  trace  to  $50 
per  ton  gold,  but  the  free  condition  remained  unchanged  as 
in  the  other  parts  of  the  mine.  Tests  on  this  work  showed 
an  average  mill  value  of  $6  per  ton  for  the  whole  length  of 
1 80  feet. 

This  is  the  most  important  work  accomplished  in  the 
district  for  many  years,  as  it  demonstrates  the  existence  of 
great  bodies  of  low  grade  ore  capable  of  treatment  on  a  large 
scale  and  indicates  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  other  mines 
of  the  district. 

In  the  upper  portion  of  the  Carissa  workings  the  usual 
oxidized  ores  were  found,  and  these  were  very  rich,  as  shown 
by  the  early  history  of  the  mine.  As  development  proceeded 
the  oxidized  ores  passed  out  and  the  sulphide  forms  came  in, 
being  mostly  arsenical  pyrites,  but  experience  in  milling 
these  ores  has  shown  the  free  gold  character  of  the  ore  still 
pertains,  and  on  the  lower  level  from  60  per  cent  to  90  per 
cent  of  the  gold  values  may  be  saved  on  the  plates  and  ore 
is  frequently  met  with  that  shows  free  gold  associated  with 
the  pyrites,  both  in  the  quartz  and  adjacent  schists.  The  ore 
is  being  treated  in  a  ten-stamp  mill,  with  amalgamating  plates 
and  concentrating  tables. 

The  Dexter  Works  at  Atlantic. — Atlantic  City  is  the 
working  headquarters  of  the  Dexter  Mining  and  Development 
Company  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  They  have  recently  added  to 
their  original  large  holdings  and  are  now  operating  the  Tabor 
Grand,  the  Bryan,  the  Dexter  Tunnel  and  Garfield, "besides  a 
number  of  smaller  works. 

This  company  holds  placer  ground  on  Rock  Creek,  con- 
sisting of  i, 600  acres  of  patented  placer  ground,  and  controls 
the  whole  bed  of  Rock  Creek  to  its  junction  with  the  Sweet- 
water  River,  about  3,000  acres  of  placer  claims  held  by  loca- 
tion in  the  usual  manner.  The  Dexter  Company  has  made 
extensive  tests  in  the  bed  of  this  creek  by  hydraulic  elevators 
and  other  mechanical  means  for  handling  the  gravel,  and  will 
put  in  dredges  as  the  result  of  these  experiments.  The  water 
for  this  work  is  secured  from  Christina  Lake  and  Rock  Creek 
by  a  system  of  about  twenty-five  miles  of  ditches,  flumes, 
etc.  An  interesting  feature  of  these  experiments  is  the  high 
assays  obtained  from  the  black  sand  after  the  placer  gold  has 
been  taken  out,  the  remaining  sand  assaying  from  $400  to 
$800  per  ton. 

The  Dexter  Tunnel  is  being  driven  to  cross-cut  several 
leads,  and  will  cut  these  different  leads  at  depths  varying 
from  217  feet  to  395  feet  in  a  total  length  of  2,800  feet,  some 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  99 

six  leads  crossing  the  line  of  the  tunnel,  which  has  reached 
a  length  of  1,500  feet  and  has  cut  several  leads  of  low  grade 
ore.  It  is  being  rapidly  pushed  ahead  by  air  drills  and  a  com- 
plete mechanical  plant. 

This  company  has  installed  a  hoist  and  shaft  house  on  the 
Rose  or  Bryan  mine,  on  the  line  of  the  Dexter  Tunnel,  sunk 
a  shaft  on  the  vein  to  connect  with  the  main  tunnel,  and  is 
running  drifts  on  the  vein  on  two  levels. 

A  new  mill  has  been  erected  by  the  Dexter  Company  at  a 
point  on  Rock  Creek  just  below  Atlantic  to  treat  both  their 
own  and  custom  ores,  extensive  experiments  having  been 
made  during  the  past  year  to  determine  the  best  method  of 
treatment.  This  mill,  which  started  in  the  spring  of  this 
year,  is  of  I5o-ton  capacity,  using  twenty  i,o5O-pound  stamps, 
with  amalgamating  plates  and  having  complete  cyanide  de- 
partment for  saving  values  other  than  free  gold. 

The  Miner's  Delight  mine,  abandoned  for  many  years, 
after  a  production  record  of  over  $1,000,000,  has  cleared  its 
title  and  is  now  in  a  fair  way  to  be  opened  up  again  on  a 
commercial  scale. 

The  vein  is  a  fissure  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  associated 
with  the  coarse  crystalline  porphyry  noted  above  and  con- 
tained very  rich  gold  values,  but  was  not  developed  over  250 
feet  in  depth,  as  far  as  can  now  be  ascertained. 

Lewiston. — At  this  camp,  which  was  opened  up  in  1879, 
when  the  famous  Burr  mine  was  discovered,  development  has 
been  slow  for  the  past  few  years,  but  this  season  prospecting 
is  again  active,  and  a  number  of  lenses  of  quartz  have  been 
found  on  Strawberry  Gulch,  which  show  the  characteristic 
free  gold  condition  of  the  Burr  and  other  famous  properties. 

Productions. — The  amount  of  gold  produced  from  twenty- 
eight  properties  in  this  district  since  its  discovery  is  $3,728,000. 
The  gold  taken  from  the  great  placers  in  the  early  days  of  the 
district,  before  anyone  thought  of  statistics,  can  only  be  esti- 
mated and  is  placed  at  from  $2,000,000  to  $3,000,000.  In  this 
locality  at  the  present  time  there  are  fifteen  properties  work- 
ing, employing  one  hundred  men. 

There  are  fifty  meritorious  properties  in  the  South  Pass 
District  that  would  pay  handsomely  on  the  development  ex- 
penditure, and  it  is  certain  that  this  district  will  be  heard 
from  as  a  gold  producer  in  the  next  few  years. 

Other  Gold  Camps. 

The  other  gold  producing  districts  in  the  state  are  scat- 
tered, and  at  present  are  limited  in  area.  Placers  are  still 
worked  on  a  small  scale  on  the  head  waters  of  Snake  River,  in 


ioo  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

the  southern  end  of  Carbon  County,  and  at  Welcome  Gulch, 
in  the  eastern  edge  of  Crook  County,  but  the  returns  are  not 
available.  In  the  latter  locality  lode  mining  has  been  active  in 
the  past  year,  where  the  Golden  Empire  Mining  Company  has 
had  forty  men  constantly  employed  doing  development  work. 
Tunnels  aggregating  7,000  feet  long  have  been  driven  and  a 
shaft  200  feet  deep  sunk  to  supply  ore  for  a  twenty-stamp 
mill.  The  formations  noted  are  the  fine  grained  schists,  gran- 
ites, etc.,  with  some  intrusions  of  trachite  and  allied  rocks, 
overlain  with  limestone  and  the  succeeding  sedimentary  for- 
mations. 

Returns  of  gold  working  properties  are  received  from  the 
Sunlight  mines,  in  Big  Horn  County;  from  Kirwin,  on  the 
head  of  Wood  River,  and  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shoshone 
River,  in  the  same  county. 

A  number  of  placer  works  are  scattered  along  the  waters 
of  the  streams  in  the  Wind  River  and  Owl  Mountains  in  Fre- 
mont and  Big  Horn  Counties,  Gros  Ventre  in  Uinta  County, 
and  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  west  of  Sheridan  some  prop- 
erties have  been  worked  for  gold  in  the  cement  deposits  on  Bald 
Mountains. 

At  Centennial,  Gold  Hill  and  Jelm  Mountain,  in  Albany 
County,  there  are  a  number  of  properties  working  for  gold 
alone. 

Placers  are  well  known  in  Carbon,  Albany,  Big  Horn  and 
Fremont  Counties,  and  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  taken 
out  in  the  past. 

COPPER  DISTRICTS. 

Grand  Encampment  District. 

The  district  popularly  known  as  the  "Grand  Encampment" 
country  lies  in  the  southern  part  of  Carbon  County  and  the 
southwestern  corner  of  Albany  County,  south  of  the  main  line 
of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 

Mining  has  been  carried  on  in  this  region  from  the  earliest 
known  period  of  the  state's  settlement,  but  the  first  permanent 
work  was  in  1872  in  the  Kurtz-Chatterton  property  on  Copper 
Creek,  west  of  where  Encampment  now  stands.  It  was  not 
until  1897-8  that  the  district  became  prominent  by  reason  of 
some  rich  gold  ores  found  in  Purgatory  Gulch,  a  small  trib- 
utary of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Grand  Encampment  River,  and 
the  town  of  Grand  Encampment  was  started. 

The  discovery  of  the  Ferris-Haggarty  copper  mine  on  the 
North  Fork  of  Battle  Creek  followed  in  the  winter  of  1898,.  and 
attention  was  then  turned  to  copper,  with  the  result  that  the 
region  is  being  thoroughly  exploited  and  bids  fair  to  become  a 
permanent  copper  producer. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  101 

The  district  is  somewhat,  irregular  in  shape.  The  tract 
embraced  in  the  known  mineralized  country  extends  along  the 
Wyoming-Colorado  state  line,  easterly  and  westerly,  for  a  dis- 
tance of  about  eighty  miles,  and  northerly  and  southerly  for  a 
distance  of  from  fifteen  miles  at  Encampment  to  forty  miles  at 
Elk  Mountain,  near  Saratoga,  comprising  about  2,000  square 
miles  of  mountain  and  valley. 

The  North  Platte  River,  which  rises  in  Colorado,  in  this 
locality  flows  northwesterly  and  divides  the  district  into  two 
distinct  halves,  with  a  valley  some  fifteen  miles  wide  lying 
between  and  watered  by  numerous  tributary  streams  on  each 
side.  Parallel  with  the  river  are  mountain  ranges  on  either 
side,  that  on  the  east  being  known  as  the  Medicine  Bow  Range, 
and  with  this  range  a  series  of  approximately  parallel  or  con- 
nected smaller  ranges,  such  as  Elk,  Coad  and  Wood  Mountains. 

On  the  west  is  the  Sierra  Madre  Range,  composed  of  a 
number  of  similar  ranges,  known  by  various  local  names,  and 
these  form  part  of  the  great  Continental  Divide. 

Geology. — The  Sierra  •  Madre  Mountains  consist  of  an 
irregular  core  of  granite,  with  smaller  islands  and  spurs  of 
the  same  material  showing  both  in  and  through  the  associated 
metamorphic  formations.  The  granite  is  usually  of  a  reddish 
feldsitic  variety,  in  many  instances  much  altered,  and  show- 
ing little  quartz  or  mica,  but  in  others  showing  a  predominance 
of  quartz,  inclining  to  the.  gray  granites  of  Colorado,  and  fre- 
quently showing  strong  evidences  of  metamorphism,  especial- 
ly in  the  outcrops,  and  which  is  usually  limited  in  extent. 

The  metamorphic  formations  consist  principally  of  Algon- 
kian  schists,  usually  lying  on  the  granites  and  having  a  varying 
dip  and  trend  or  direction  in  different  parts  of  the  district. 
These  schists  are  of  a  number  of  varieties,  some  of  which  are 
local  or  limited  in  extent,  the  usual  schist  being  a  fine  grained 
black  mica  schist,  and  fine  hornblende  and  tourmaline  schist  in 
bands  varying  from  a  few  feet  to  several  hundred  feet  in  width. 
Associated  with  these  varieties  have  been  noted  muscovite  or 
white  mica  schists  and  gneiss,  cerisite  schist,  garnet  schist  on 
Upper  Cow  Creek,  chlorite  schist  and  amphibolite  schist  in 
various  localities. 

The  dyke  rocks  noted  are  mainly  diorites,  some  diabase 
and  allied  dark  colored  dyke  rocks.  These  dykes  vary  in  size 
from  a  thin  band  a  few  inches  thick  to  a  huge  sheet  of  several 
hundred  feet  in  thickness,  and  generally  lie  conformably  with 
the  adjacent  schist,  having  the  same  trend  or  direction  and  the 
same  dip,  but  instances  are  noted,  as  on  Upper  Cow  Creek  and 
near  the  Syndicate  on  Savery  Creek,  where  the  dykes  cut 
across  the  formation  at  a  varying  angle.  These  dykes  are  also 


IO2  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

noted  at  many  places  in  the  granite  near  the  New  Rambler  on 
Douglas  Creek  and  near  Encampment  and  Battle. 

Associated  with  the  schists  and  diorites  are  ledges  or  bands 
of  quartzite,  which  lie  conformably  with  the  including  schists, 
as  far  as  now  known,  as  at  the  Ferris-Haggarty  mine  and  at 
Bridger  Peak,  and  are  usually  of  considerable  extent. 

In  many  instances  the  foregoing  rocks  (schists,  dyke 
rocks  and  quartzites)  often  show  an  extensive  and  sometimes 
a  complete  metamorphism  and  change  from  their  original  con- 
dition and  composition,  leaving  only  the  structure  as  a  means 
of  identification,  the  composing  minerals  being  replaced  by 
silica  and  lime,  as  the  schists  near  the  Ferris-Haggarty  are 
largely  replaced  by  silica,  and  by  lime  on  Jack  Creek  and  at 
the  Mohawk,  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Grand  Encampment 
River. 

The  Snowy  Range,  in  the  Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  is 
distinct  in  formation  from  the  adjacent  country,  and  consists 
of  trachite  and  quartzites,  with  an  occasional  dyke  of  porphyry. 

On  either  side  of  the  Medicine 'Bow  Range  the  carbonifer- 
ous limestones  are  noted,  with  the  succeeding  sedimentary 
formation  dipping  away  from  the  main  range,  until  covered 
by  the  wash  of  the  valley. 

Mineralization. — The  mineralization  may  be  said  to  be 
general  throughout  the  formation  just  described,  but  varies  in 
quantity  and  composition  in  each  locality.  In  the  granites, 
schists,  dyke  rocks  and  quartzites  are  found  bunches,  streaks 
and  veins  of  the  different  forms  of  iron  and  copper,  both  ox- 
idized and  base,  varying  from  a  tiny  crystal  or  speck  to  a  huge 
mass  a  number  of  tons  in  weight  enclosed  in  the  adjacent 
rocks,  which  may  or  may  not  be  part  of  or  related  to  the  body 
of  ore. 

Ore  Deposits  and  Ores. — In  a  district  as  little  developed 
as  the  Grand  Encampment  country  it  is  evident  that  the  pre- 
cise ore  conditions  may  not  be  fully  understood  until  greater 
depths  have  been  reached  and  some  of  each  class  of  ores  and 
ore  deposits  fully  exploited.  At  present  these  are  understood 
to  consist  of  two  classes,  viz.,  ores  found  in  the  hard,  un- 
changed formation,  the  diorites  and  unaltered  schists,  asso- 
ciated with  a  vein  quartz,  as  at  the  Blakeslee  and  Verde  prop- 
erties, south  of  Battle,  as  distinguished  from  the  ores  found 
as  a  contact  deposit  between  two  different  formations,  as  The 
Ferris-Haggarty,  Doane-Rambler  mines,  and  a  fissure  deposit, 
as  the  New  Rambler,  on  Douglas  Creek,  in  a  gray  granite.  The 
former  may  be  termed  original  ores  and  the  latter  secondary 
ores,  or  ores  of  replacement. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  103 

In  the  first  case  sulphide  of  copper  is  found  in  the  out- 
crops, and  with  but  little  change  beyond  the  surface  oxidizing 
of  the  specimen  and  staining  the  adjacent  rock  with  iron  oxides 
and  copper  carbonates,  often  leaving  the  unchanged  sulphides 
only  covered  by  a  thin  film  of  oxides. 

In  the  latter  case  the  sulphides  are  encountered  at  "water 
level,"  viz.,  the  level  of  permanent  underground  water,  varying 
in  depth  in  different  localities  and  covered  by  a  capping  of 
iron  oxides,  known  as  the  iron  cap  and  the  "gossan"  of  the 
Cornish  miner. 

In  many  instances  the  iron  cap  contains  thin  scales  of 
native  copper  and  shows  stains  of  the  green  carbonate  of  cop- 
per or  Malachite  and  some  blue  carbonate  of  copper  or  Azurite. 

The  principal  ores  are  the  yellow  pyrites  of  copper  or 
chalcopyrite  and  "peacock  copper"  or  Bornite,  as  at  the  Fer- 
ris-Haggarty,  and  the  Covelite  ores  of  the  New  Rambler. 
Some  phenomenally  rich  copper  glance  or  chalcocite  has  been 
struck,  mostly  near  the  surface. 

The  works  so  far  have  shown  that  the  ores  immediately 
succeeding  the  oxidized  ores  underlying  the  iron  cap  are  very 
rich,  often  running  from  35  to  49  per  cent  copper  in  car  load 
lots,  as  shipping  returns  have  shown,  but  this  is  evidently  a 
secondary  enrichment,  due  to  the  leaching  of  the  iron  cap 
above,  and  gradually  gives  place  to  the  lower  and  more  per- 
manent grade  of  ore  that  is  reached  as  depth  is  gained. 

It  is  evident  that  the  permanent  ores  of  this  district,  when 
opened  up  by  deep  workings,  will  prove  to  be  a  low  grade 
Chalcopyrite  ore,  suitable  for  treatment  by  a  concentrating, 
roasting  and  smelting  process. 

Gold  and  silver  values  throughout  the  district  have  uni- 
formly been  low,  although  some  phenomenally  rich  gold  values 
have  been  noted  in  the  oxidized  ores  at  Purgatory  Gulch,  the 
Charter  Oak  and  some  others,  but  with  more  attention  being 
paid  to  this  by-product,  a  higher  grade  may  be  anticipated  in 
the  future. 

Grand  Encampment. — This  town  is  the  practical  center 
of  the  mining  activity  of  this  region,  is  pleasantly  located,  sub- 
stantially built  and  has  about  1,000  population  at  the  present 
time.  Here  are  located  the  principal  supply  houses,  bank  and 
headquarters  of  the  principal  companies  operating  in  this  dis- 
trict, and  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  aerial  gravity  tramway 
from  the  Ferris-Haggarty  mine  to  the  Encampment  reduction 
works,  the  location  of  the  Encampment  Power  and  Light  Com- 
pany's works  and  the  other  enterprises  owned  by  the  Penn- 
Wyoming  Copper  Company. 

Aerial  Tramway. — The  tramway  is  sixteen  miles  in  length, 
divided  into  four  sections,  with  three  auxiliary  power  stations. 


IO4  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

one  at  the  mine,  one  at  Upper  Cow  Creek  at  the  foot  of  Bridger 
Peak  and  one  at  Lower  Cow  Creek.  These  stations  are 
equipped  with  power  plants,  storage  bins,  etc.,  to  facilitate 
the  operations  of  the  line.  Three  hundred  and  four  towers, 
with  tension  stations  at  intervals,  are  used  to  support  the 
cables,  which,  moving  at  an  average  speed  of  four  miles  an 
hour,  with  buckets  holding  700  pounds  of  ore  each,  are  capable 
of  delivering  984  tons  of  ore  per  day. 

The  Encampment  Reduction  Works. — These  works  are 
located  at  the  tramway  terminal,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Grand  Encampment  River,  and  are  favorably  situated  as  re- 
gards convenience  in  operating,  handling  ores,  tailings  and 
slag  dumps,  etc. 

The  ore  from  the  receiving  bins  is  delivered  to  the  crush- 
ers and  rolls,  passes  over  rotary  sizing  screens,  the  coarse 
material  passing  over  being  elevated  back  to  fine  rolls,  the 
finer  passing  through  the  screens,  going  on  through  the  mill, 
and  being  sized  and  classified  by  sizers  and  jigs.  The  sized 
product  passes  over  Wilfley  concentrating  tables  for  final 
treatment,  and  the  concentrates,  which  run  from  28  to  30  per 
cent  copper,  are  sent  to  the  briqueting  plant,  the  tailings  or 
waste  being  run  into  a  tailing  dam  and  settled.  A  mechanical 
straight  line  roaster  has  been  installed  to  roast  the  high  grade 
sulphides,  with  a  capacity  of  forty  tons  per  day. 

The  smelter  consists  of  two  matte  furnaces  smelting  to  a 
50  per  cent  copper  matte,  which  passes  to  the  converter  and  is 
blown  to  blister  copper.  The  entire  plant  is  constructed  on  a 
5OO-ton  capacity  basis,  and  all  power  used  in  the  smelter,  for 
cranes,  etc.,  is  electric,  except  the  blowers  and  air  compressor, 
which  are  driven  direct  from  the  water  power. 

During  the  winter  just  passed  the  Penn- Wyoming  Com- 
pany has  been  making  extensive  improvements  in  its  works, 
installing  new  machinery  and  replacing  some  of  the  old.  Dur- 
ing the  coming  season  other  extensive  improvements  are 
projected,  the  principal  one  being  a  steam  power  plant,  in 
order  that  the  works  may  be  operated  the  year  around. 

The  production  of  copper  for  1904  was  very  satisfactory, 
the  copper  being  produced  at  a  cost  of  6.38  cents  per  pound, 
including  the  forty-four-mile  wagon  haul  to  the  railroad.  The 
greatest  amount  of  copper  produced  in  one  day  was  41,000 
pounds,  and  in  one  month,  that  of  October,  1904,  722,771 
pounds,  and  a  production  of  a  car  load  of  blister  copper  per 
day  is  expected  to  be  maintained  for  1905. 

The  Kurtz-Chatterton  mine,  west  of  Encampment,  is  the 
oldest  in  the  district,  and  has  a  tunnel  1,700  feet  long,  with 
numerous  drifts,  shafts,  etc.  The  ore  is  a  low  grade  copper 


THE  DEVII/S  TOWER,  CROOK  COUNTY. 


NATURE'S  DOUBLE-HEADED  SPHYNX. 


*  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  105 

sulphide  in  granite,  suitable  for  concentration  on  an  extensive 
scale. 

In  this  vicinity  are  the  Great  Lakes,  Norvell-Pickerell, 
Moon-Anchor,  Chicago-Venture,  Winona-Rex,  Sweet  and 
others,  which  have  been  working  steadily. 

Battle. — Towards  Battle  the  Co-operative  Company  has 
been  sinking  on  a  vein  of  red  iron  oxides  in  schists  and  quartz- 
ite.  This  same  condition  is  noted  on  the  Hidden  Treasure  and 
Gertrude  properties,  and  at  intervals  shows  copper  stains,  both 
in  the  capping  and  quartz. 

On  what  is  known  as  the  Portland  mine,  owned  by  the 
Battle  Lake  Copper  Mining  Company,  work  has  been  active. 
Open  cuts  and  shafts  have  been  opened  along  the  vein,  fol- 
lowing it  west  and  down  the  hill  to  Battle  Creek,  where  a 
tunnel  was  started  to  follow  the  vein  east  into  the  mountain. 
At  thirty-five  feet  from  the  portal  the  vein  was  encountered, 
which  at  this  point  shows  gold  and  copper  ore  of  workable 
grade  and  quantity.  The  tunnel  has  since  been  run  a  distance 
of  over  200  feet.  Open  cuts  and  shafts  have  been  sunk  along 
the  vein  for  a  distance  of  about  2,000  feet  and  show  ore  of 
good  grade. 

The  Cow  Creek  country  along  the  tramway  line  is  again 
active.  The  Lena  Shields,  Continental  and  Copper  Age  are 
steadily  developing  with  good  results.  South  of  Battle,  the 
Itmay,  Verde  and  Three  Forks  work  is  making  steady  pro- 
gress on  promising  showings. 

Doane-Rambler  Mine. — Work  on  this  mine,  which  is  the 
oldest  operating  mine,  as  well  as  one  of  the  best  known  of  the 
district,  for  this  year  has  been  entirely  on  development,  only 
the  ore  taken  out  during  this  work  having  been  mined  and 
saved,  to  be  shipped  at  convenient  intervals,  and  no  attempt 
made  at  regular  shipments. 

Great  improvements  have  been  made  in  the  condition  of 
the  mine.  Large  new  buildings  have  been  erected  and  com- 
plete mechanical  plant  installed.  The  main  tunnel  has  been 
completed,  main  shaft  sunk  from  the  400  to  the  600  level. 

Drifts  and  cross-cuts  on  the  400,  500  and  600  levels  have 
exposed  ore  conditions  that  fully  warrant  large  works. 

Ferris-Haggarty  Mine. — This  is  the  main  producing  prop- 
erty of  the  district,  has  produced  over  $1,400,000  since  it  was 
opened  up,  and  is  the  main  source  of  ore  supply  for  the  En- 
campment smelter. 

The  vein  is  a  contact  deposit  between  schist  and  quartzite, 
showing  a  series  of  ore  bodies  varying  in  length  up  to  250  feet 
and  in  width  from  fifteen  to  forty  feet.  The  ore  is  bornite  and 
chalcopyrite,  and  the  grade  varies  from  a  35  to  40  per  cent 


io6  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING.  r 

shipping  ore  to  a  6  and  8  per  cent  concentrating  ore,  the  latter 
predominating. 

Originally  the  property  was  worked  by  shaft  and  hoist, 
but  a  working  tunnel  has  been  run  in  at  the  lowest  practicable 
level  (giving  about  500  feet  depth  on  the  dip  of  the  vein)  and 
complete  plant  installed  at  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel.  The  ore 
is  stoped  out  by  machine  drills,  thrown  into  chutes,  run  to  the 
tunnel  level  and  hauled  out  by  compressed  air  haulage,  seven 
cars  to  a  train,  and  run  directly  into  the  tramway  ore  bins  and 
thence  to  the  smelter  sixteen  miles  away. 

A  hoist  has  been  installed  at  the  tunnel  level  and  a  winze 
sunk  below  this  level,  where  drifts  are  being  run  on  the  ore 
and  an  active  campaign  opened  for  the  production  of  ore  dur- 
ing the  coming  season,  which  opens  about  May  and  closes 
December  15  following. 

Dillon  Vicinity. — Work  around  Dillon  has  been  very  act- 
ive this  year,  the  Anchoria,  Jackpot,  Independence,  Pluto  and 
Oshkosh-Wyoming  Companies  being  especially  prominent. 
The  Congo  property  has  developed  steadily  and  makes  a  fine 
showing.  The  Bachelder  has  improved  the  plant  and  shaft, 
and  is  now  doing  permanent  work.  Work  has  also  been  active 
on  the  Octavia,  Island  City,  Copper  Bar,  Home  Run  and  a 
dozen  others.  The  Echo  property  is  especially  interesting  and 
promising,  as  a  shaft  is  being  sunk  on  a  capping  of  iron  oxides, 
identical  with  that  of  the  Ferris-Haggarty,  but  lying  with 
schist  foot-wall  and  quartzite  hanging-wall,  where  the  Hag- 
garty  has  a  quartzite  foot-wall  and  schist  hanging-wall. 

On  Spring  Creek  the  Copper  Bar  Company  has  erected  a 
steam  plant,  and  the  Chippewa  Mining  Company  has  been 
doing  work  on  a  schist  lead  showing  the  usual  oxidized  sur- 
face condition,  but  with  chalcopyrite  carrying  galena  or  lead 
sulphide  at  a  yery  shallow  depth  and  in  considerable  quantity. 
The  Badger  State  Company  has  been  sinking  on  a  strong  vein 
of  quartz  carrying  copper  and  lead  sulphides  in  mica  schist. 

The  Syndicate  property  on  Savery  Creek  is  working  on 
a  contact  between  an  altered  schist  and  diorite  dykes.  Con- 
siderable copper  ore  of  good  grade  has  been  taken  out. 

In  Purgatory  Gulch,  situated  six  miles  south  of  Encamp- 
ment, in  1897,  some  remarkably  rich  gold  specimens  were 
found,  and  formed  the  basis  of  the  excitement  which  has  de- 
veloped into  the  Grand  Encampment  Copper  District. 

The  Fremont  Copper  Company  is  operating  on  Dunkard 
Creek  and  has  installed  a  plant  of  machinery  for  sinking  an 
inclined  shaft  on  a  promising  showing. 

The  King-of-the-Camp,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Grand 
Encampment  River,  is  running  a  cross-cut  tunnel  to  cut  a 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  107 

quartz  lead  in  schist  that  carries  promising  values  in  gold, 
and  is  one  of  the  few  properties  in  this  locality  being  worked 
for  gold  alone. 

Beaver  Creek  is  situated  some  twelve  miles  south  of  En- 
campment, and  contains  some  promising  prospects. 

The  Aetna,  the  Evening  Star,  Bay-Horse,  Ruby,  News- 
boy and  Kearns-Consolidated  are  prominent  properties,  have 
steam  plants  erected  and  have  done  considerable  work. 

In  the  Gibraltar  prospect,  near  Big  Creek,  eighteen  miles 
from  Encampment,  a  vein  of  iron  oxides,  stained  with  copper 
carbonates,  was  opened  up  and  considerable  good  ore  taken 
out. 

The  Cox  mine,  on  Big  Creek,  has  produced  some  remark- 
able high  grade  copper  ore,  and  several  shipments  have  been 
made  from  it. 

The  Charter  Oak  is  one  of  the  oldest  properties  in  the 
district,  and  is  located  seven  miles  north  of  Encampment,  in 
the  northern  edge  of  the  foothills.  Ores  consist  of  sulphides 
in  lower  and  oxidized  in  upper  levels. 

Elk  Mountain. 

This  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  ranges  comprising  the 
Medicine  Bow  Range  in  Wyoming,  and  is  a  later  uplift  than 
the  Sierra  Madre,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Platte.  Here  the 
sedimentary  limestones  of  the  Carboniferous  period  lie  on  the 
schists  and  granites  of  the  earlier  formations,  and  at  the  Elk 
Mountain  M.  &  M.  Company's  property,  on  the  north  side 
of  Pass  Creek,  the  ore  is  found  near  the  contact  of  these  for- 
mations. This  ore,  in  the  upper  workings,  is  copper  glance, 
occurring  in  the  bunches  common  to  this  ore,  and  in  the  lower 
workings  is  giving  place  to  the  chalcopyrite,  which  is  becom- 
ing more  common  as  depth  is  reached. 

The  Cumberland  Group,  on  the  south  end  of  Coad  Moun- 
tain, shows  a  huge  ledge  of  quartzose  material,  some  twenty 
feet  wide,  lying  conformably  with  the  dip  and  trend  of  the 
schist  and  showing  a  good  trace  of  ore. 

The  Camperdown  Group,  north  of  the  Cumberland,  has 
a  remarkable  showing  of  copper  ore,  similar  to  the  Cumber- 
land, both  of  which  are  regarded  as  good  development  prop- 
ositions. 

New  Rambler  Mine. 

The  Great  Rambler  mine  is  owned  by  the  Rambler  Min- 
ing and  Smelting  Company,  is  located  on  the  crest  of  the 
Medicine  Bow  Range,  in  Albany  County,  and  was  first  opened 
up  as  a  gold  prospect.  In  1900  the  first  copper  was  struck  at 
a  depth  of  sixty-five  feet,  and  the  mine  began  immediately  to 


io8  THS  STATIC  OF  WYOMING. 

ship  high  grade  copper  ore.  The  formation  containing  the 
copper  is  a  dioritic  granite,  with  some  micaceous  schist  in  the 
vicinity,  but  the  ore  is  found  in  a  series  of  fissures  in  the 
granite.  In  common  with  the  other  prominent  properties  in 
Southern  Wyoming,  the  surface  and  outcrops  of  the  property 
show  the  usual  oxidized  forms  of  iron,  with  an  occasional  cop- 
per stain.  The  "iron  hat,"  as  this  capping  is  called,  extends 
to  a  varying  depth  and  gives  place  to  the  various  forms  of 
copper  minerals  met  with  in  this  mine.  The  Rambler  is  a 
veritable  museum  of  copper  minerals,  and  nearly  all  the  known 
forms  have  been  found  here  either  in  quantity  or  as  specimens. 
Native  copper  is  noted  in  sheets  often  of  a  dendritic  form  and 
as  small  nuggets.  Copper  carbonates,  green  and  blue,  are 
abundant,  as  well  as  the  silicates  of  copper.  The  red  oxide  of 
copper,  Cuprite,  and  the  black  oxides,  Tenorite  and  Mala- 
conite,  are  noted  in  quantity.  Covellite,  or  "indigo  copper," 
is  the  ore  that  made  this  mine  famous,  as  this  variety  has 
always  been  a  rare  form,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  the 
quantity  in  which  it  occurs  in  this  mine ;  the  only  small  speci- 
mens of  this  variety  are  usually  found  in  the  different  museums 
of  minerals.  Platinum  has  been  found  in  the  Rambler  ores, 
occurring  in  the  Covellite  and  showing  1.4  oz.  of  platinum  per 
ton  of  ore.  Palladium  has  also  been  noted  in  these  ores  in 
the  Covellite  ores  with  the  platinum.  The  grade  of  ore  at  this 
property  has  been  high,  and  a  number  of  cars  of  very  high 
grade  ore  have  been  shipped,  especially  that  containing  the 
glance  and  Covellite.  These  shipments  show  i;928  dry  tons 
of  ore  shipped,  averaging  19  per  cent  copper  and  representing 
a  gross  value  of  $77,622.  The  general  grade  of  the  oxidized 
ores  is  low,  and  to  treat  these  ores  a  matte  smelter  of  forty 
tons  per  day  capacity  has  been  installed.  The  matte  made  and 
shipped  is  given  as  follows:  Six  hundred  and  thirteen  thou- 
sand pounds  matte,  249,196  pounds  copper,  $36,135.41  values. 
The  grade  of  matte  shipped  varied  from  30  to  60  per  cent 
copper  and  the  total  amount  of  copper  produced  to  date  is 
828,970  pounds. 

West  of  the  Rambler  is  the  Blanche  property,  which  has 
installed  a  mechanical  plant,  and  the  Blanche  Mining  Com- 
pany is  sinking  a  shaft  for  the  Rambler  ore  shoots.  The  shaft 
is  down  175  feet  and  a  number  of  stringers  of  good  ore  cut, 
but  the  main  ore  has  not  yet  been  reached. 

East  of  the  Rambler  the  American  Company  has  been 
sinking  a  development  shaft  on  the  Albany  group  of  claims. 

Near  by  is  the  Cuprite  claim  of  the  Medicine  Bow  Mines 
Company  of  Laramie,  where  a  tunnel  now  in  825  feet  is  being 
run. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  109 

On  Lake  Creek  are  the  Maudem  and  Ottumwa  properties, 
where  tunnels  are  being  driven  to  cut  leads  exposed  on  surface. 

On  Iron  Creek  a  huge  ledge  of  iron  oxides  is  noted  out- 
cropping in  general  as  a  hard,,  silicious  hematite,  but  often 
associated  with  deposits  of  brown  limonite  and  frequently 
carrying  a  small  copper  value.  The  shaft  sunk  by  the.  Ak-Sar- 
Ben  Company  on  this  material  to  a  depth  of  eighty  feet  is 
the  deepest  working  and  shows  a  soft  condition  beneath  the 
capping. 

The  Strong  Mine,  northeast  of  Laramie,  has  developed 
steadily.  A  shaft  house  and  hoist  have  been  erected  and  the 
development  work  in  the  main  shafts  and  drifts  on  the  ore 
has  shown  up  a  remarkable  body  of  concentrating  ore. 

Southeast  of  the  Strong  mine,  near  the  old  camp  of  Silver 
Crown,  considerable  progress  and  development  have  been 
made  during  the  past  year.  The  Louise  mine,  owned  by  the 
Hecla  Company>  has  sunk  an  encline  shaft  on  the  ore  and 
cross-cut  at  a  depth  of  160  feet  to  a  similar  body  lying  along- 
side the  original  ore,  and  a  good  grade  of  ore  has  been  no- 
ticed in  both  of  them. 

The  Globe  Copper  Company  has  reopened  the  old  Fair- 
view  mine  and  has  developed  a  considerable  body  of  copper 
ore.  These  ores  are  both  the  characteristic  chalcopyrite  ores 
of  this  region,  and  the  Globe  Company  is  erecting  a  small 
concentrating  plant  to  handle  the  ores  now  in  sight.  Ex- 
tensive experiments  have  been  made  to  determine  the  best 
method  of  treating  these  ores,  and  the  successful  operation 
of  this  plant  will  open  a  new  field  for  Wyoming  copper. 

Sunlight  Mining  District. 

Sunlight  Basin,  in  Big  Horn  County,  is  attracting  the  at- 
tention of  miners  and  prospectors,  and  considerable  work  is 
being  done  around  Stinking  Water  Peak,  one  of  the  prominent 
peaks  of  the  Absaroka  Range.  This  region  is  located  about 
sixty-five  miles  west  and  north  of  Cody,  on  the  Burlington 
and  Missouri  River  railroad,  in  the  Yellowstone  Park  Timber 
Reserve,  and  about  ten  or  fifteen  miles  east  of  the  east  line 
of  the  National  Park. 

The  formations  here  are  mostly  andesites,  rhyolites  and 
porphyry.  Diorite  is  also  noted  in  some  localities ;  basalt  and 
conglomerates,  both  in  massive  sheets  and  dykes,  are  found. 

Almost  all  the  prospecting  up  to  the  present  time  has  been 
in  the  vicinity  of  Stinking  Water  Peak,  in  an  area  of  about  six 
or  seven  miles  square,  covering  the  heads  of  Sulphur,  Copper 
and  Galena  Creeks,  and  the  North  Fork  of  the  Shoshone  River. 

The  works  of  the  Sunlight  Mining  Company,  in  Silver  Tip 
Basin,  are  the  principal  works  of  the  region,  and  consist  of 


no  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

three  tunnels,  100  feet,  250  feet  and  900  feet  long,  respectively, 
the  latter  being  the  main  working  tunnel,  being  run  to  cut 
an  ore  body  that  shows  a  surface  width  of  about  thirty  feet  of 
good  grade  ore.  The  ore  from  these  works  is  a  quartzose  vein 
matter,  carrying  copper  and  iron  sulphides,  mostly  chal- 
copyrite  or  yellow  pyrites  of  copper,  with  a  fair  value  in  gold 
and  silver.  Some  galena  or  lead  sulphide  is  also  found,  which 
is  often  rich  in  silver.  Shipments  have  been  made  from  this 
property  and  showed  a  profitable  return  even  in  the  face  of  a 
wagon  haul  of  one  hundred  miles  to  the  nearest  railroad  point 
at  Red  Lodge,  Montana,  after  being  packed  for  four  miles 
down  to  the  road  from  the  mines.  This  region  is  favorably 
adapted  for  tunnel  methods  of  mining,  and  thus  prospecting 
may  be  carried  on  at  all  times  and  seasons,  the  winters  being 
no  more  severe  than  in  many  of  the  mining  regions  of  Colorado. 

The  new  camp  of  Kirwin,  lying  seventy-five  miles  south- 
west of  Cody,  has  made  wonderful  strides  during  the  past  year 
and  the  work  is  rapidly  advancing  at  the  present  time.  The 
Galena  Ridge  M.  &  M.  Company,  Shoshone  Mountain  Mining 
Company  and  others  have  been  developing  a  large  number 
of  claims  here  for  the  past  eight  years,  doing  prospecting  and 
improvement  work  where  necessary,  and  have  reached  the 
point  of  permanent  development.  Mechanical  plants  are  being 
installed  and  mills  erected  and  the  underground  development 
work  carried  forward  under  favorable  auspices. 

The  ores  are  copper  and  lead,  carrying  a  higher  silver 
and  gold  contents  than  is  usual  in  this  state,  and  the  deeper 
works  have  shown  that  the  values  may  confidently  be  expected 
to  continue  and  improve  with  depth. 

Further  south,  towards  Washakie  Needle  and  the  Wind 
River  Range,  are  a  number  of  promising  prospects  and  a  vast 
territory  to  hear  from.  This,  with  the  mountains  of  these 
chains  in  Uinta  and  Fremont  Counties,  is  the  most  available 
new  and  undeveloped  mining  country  in  the  west  and  is  cer- 
tain to  be  the  scene  of  many  rich  discoveries  within  the  next 
few  years. 

North  of  Laramie  Peak,  in  Albany,  Laramie  and  Con- 
verse Counties,  work  on  a  series  of  heavy  iron  caps  is  actively 
progressing.  The  formation  here  is  schist  and  granite,  and 
the  principal  showings  are  a  series  of  huge  oxidized  iron  caps 
lying  in  ledges  of  schists  and  gneiss  and  which  show  copper 
minerals  in  nearly  every  instance.  These  caps  are  usually 
immediately  underlaid  by  pyrhotite  and  white  iron  pyrites  as 
depth  is  gained,  and  these  minerals  seem  to  be  replaced  by 
quartz  and  chalcopyrite  or  yellow  pyrites  of  copper. 

Prominent  properties  on  these  showings  are  the  Maverick, 
Tenderfoot,  Three  Cripples  and  Maggie  Murphy.  The  Three 


MINERAL  RESOURCES. 


in 


Cripples  has  the  deepest  shaft  and  shows  the  characteristic 
condition  above  noted. 

The  Maggie  Murphy  Company  is  installing  a  machinery 
plant  for  deep  work,  and  the  present  showings  in  the  main 
shaft  are  very  encouraging. 

The  Esterbrook,  which  is  the  oldest  location  in  this  dis- 
trict, is  sinking  a  shaft  on  the  vein  of  silicious  lead  carbonate 
and  has  reached  a  depth  of  258  feet.  The  showings  here  in- 
•dicate  that  this  lead  cap  is  underlaid  by  copper  sulphides  as- 
.-sociated  with  galena  or  lead  sulphides,  and  the  company  is 
now  beginning  to  cross-cut  and  develop  its  showings  at  this 
.depth. 

West  of  the  above  properties  are  the  Oriole  and  LaBonte, 
in  LaBonte  Canon.  At  LaBonte  a  tunnel  has  been  run  for  a 
length  of  550  feet,  at  which  point  the  formation  was  cross-cut, 
showing  a  schist  dyke  highly  mineralized  with  a  width  of  150 
feet.  A  drift  near  the  center  of  this  dyke  has  shown  a  shoot 
>of  low  grade  copper  ores,  and  other  shoots  are  expected  as  this 
-development  proceeds. 

At  the  Oriole  mine  development  work  has  shown  a  low- 
grade  copper  concentrating  proposition,  and  a  mill  is  expected 
to  be  installed  during  the  coming  summer. 

The  list  of  promising  prospects  might  be  indefinitely  con- 
tinued in  every  mountain  range  in  the  state,  did  space  permit, 
but  only  the  most  prominent  and  best  known  localities  are 
mentioned,  and  to  name  all  would  require  a  separate  pub- 
lication. 

The  total  copper  production  of  Wyoming  from  the  earliest 
record  to  December  31,  1904,  is  as  follows,  the  prices  given 
being  the  average  price  of  copper  for  the  year : 

Number  of       Price  per 

Year.                                       Pounds.           Pound.  Value. 

1882 75.000  17.100  cents  $  12,757.50 

1883 962,468  13.700  cents  131,858.11 

1888 232,819  15.900  cents  36,017.32 

1889 100,000  12.000  cents  12,000.00 

1895 6,872  10.1 10  cents  694.07 

1897 127,471  n.ioo  cents  14,149.28 

1898 233,044  12.000  cents  27,965.28 

1899 3,104,827  17.100  cents  530>925-39 

1900 4,206,776  16.250  cents  683,601.50 

1901 914,412  16.110  cents  140,909.82 

1902 75^97  11.620  cents  8,749.51 

1903 947,106  13420  cents  127,101.62 

1904 4,220,000  12.831  cents  541,046.20 


Totals 15,206,092 


$2,267,775.60 


112  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


Oil, 


THE  LIGHT  OF  AGES. 


When  it  comes  to  oil,  Wyoming  certainly  bids  fair  to 
illuminate  and  lubricate  the  works  of  man  for  generations. 
The  eighteen  oil  fields  known  in  this  state  present  a  greater 
variety  of  product  than  any  similar  known  area,  as  it  varies 
from  the  highest  grade  of  lubricating  oils  without  a  trace  of 
illuminating  constituents  to  an  equally  high  grade  of  illuminat- 
ing oil  totally  free  from  lubricants,  and  with  a  range  of  inter- 
mediate oils  and  products  that  is  a  revelation  to  oil  men. 

In  each  of  the  eighteen  oil  fields  oil  is  flowing  from  springs, 
or  there  are  thick  bands  of  oil  sand  exposed.  The  greater  num- 
ber of  these  fields  are  situated  in  the  central  part  of  the  state, 
but  there  are  fields  in  the  northeastern  part,  in  the  southwest- 
ern portion,  and  in  the  northern  central  region.  The  oils  that 
have  been  analyzed  vary  in  nature  from  high  grade  lubricating 
to  oils  that  will  produce  from  40  to  50  per  cent  of  kerosene. 

With  proper  facilities  for  transportation,  the  oil  industry 
in  Wyoming  will  equal,  if  not  surpass,  that  of  any  state. 

The  greatest  development  is  found  in  Natrona  County, 
where  a  lubricating  oil  is  found  which  has  been  pronounced 
by  experts  to  be  the  best  in  the  world  ;  and  in  Fremont  County, 
where  there  are  thirteen  flowing  wells,  now  capped  for  the 
want  of  a  railroad.  At  Casper  there  is  a  refinery  having  a 
capacity  of  200  barrels  of  crude  oil  per  day.  The  product  is 
hauled  from  the  wells  in  wagons  that  have  a  carrying  capacity 
of  18,000  pounds,  each  train  of  wagons  requiring  twelve  to 
sixteen  mules.  This  greatly  adds  to  the  expense  of  production. 
At  present  the  following  oils  are  manufactured  at  Casper : 
Railroad  engine,  railroad  car,  railroad  valve  and  railroad  sig- 
nal. These  oils  are  the  most  perfect  lubricants,  of  high  en- 
durance, highest  fire  tests,  and  greatest  body  and  wearing 
power.  Besides  railroad  oils,  the  refinery  manufactures  other 
special  high  grade  oils,  viz. :  Stationary  engine,  valve,  spindle 
oils,  dynamo  oils,  watch  oils,  neutral  oils  for  blending  animal 
and  vegetable  oils,  paint  oil,  visco  axle  grease,  and  heavy  ma- 
chine oil  for  mowing  machines.  The  product  of  eight  produc- 
ing wells  varies  in  value  from  twenty  cents  to  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  per  gallon. 

The  Bonanza  field,  in  Big  Horn  County,  is  attracting  a 
great  deal  of  attention ;  five  wells  recently  drilled  struck  oil 
at  280  feet. 


ON  THE  GOVERNMENT  ROAD  BETWEEN  CODY  AND  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


OIL.  113 

Geology. — Full  information  on  this  subject  may  be  ob- 
tained by  addressing  a  request  to  Miss  Grace  Raymond  He- 
bard,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  of 
Wyoming,  at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  for  oil  bulletins.  The  Uni- 
versity issues  bulletins  on  the  mining  resources  of  Wyoming, 
prepared  by  the  Professor  of  Geology  from  personal  field  in- 
vestigation. 

The  Popo  Agie  Oil  Field. — This  field  is  situated  ten  miles 
southeast  of  Lander,  Fremont  County.  It  covers  several  town- 
ships and  extends  north  to  Lander.  The  history  of  this  field 
is  far  more  interesting  than  any  other  oil  field.  It  was  dis- 
covered by  Bonneville  in  1833,  and  is  the  place  where  the  first 
producing  oil  well  was  drilled.  From  the  date  of  Bonneville's 
visit  up  to  1867  the  oil  spring  was  unknown,  except  to  the 
hunter  or  trapper,  who  frequented  the  locality  to  secure  the 
oil  for  medicinal,  lubricating,  illuminating  and  other  purposes. 
There  are  now  thirteen  flowing  wells,  with  a  capacity  each  of 
200  barrels  per  twenty-four  hours;  owned  by  the  Belgo-Amer- 
ican  Drilling  Trust,  as  are  also  the  lubricating  oil  wells  situ- 
ated on  Salt  Creek,  with  the  refinery  at  Casper.  The  oil 
appears  black,  is  reddish  brown  by  transmitted  light  and  has 
a  strong,  disagreeable  odor. 

Flashing  point 90°  F. 

Burning  point 136°  F. 

Specific  gravity 900 

Heating  power.  .  .  11,437  calories  per  gramme 

In  refining  the  products  are  gasoline  and  kerosene,  about 
35-45  per  cent,  and  the  balance  lubricating  oils  and  asphaltum. 
The  oil  is  of  heavy  asphaltum  base  and  suitable  for  high  grade 
fuel,  tests  giving  14,571,000  foot  pounds  of  energy  per  pound 
of  oil.  One  pound  of  this  oil  will  convert  19.40  pounds  of 
water  at  212  F.  degrees  into  steam. 

Analysis  shows  the  following  products : 

Naphtha  (gasoline) 2-5  per  cent 

Kerosene,  .8io-.83O 30-40  per  cent 

Lubricating  oil,  .9IO-.940 35-50  per  cent 

Paraffin 3-5  per  cent 

Coke 7-10  per  cent 

Gas 10-12  per  cent 

Lander  and  Shoshone  Oil  Fields. — The  Lander  field  joins 
the  Popo  Agie  on  the  north,  and  the  Shoshone  joins  the  Lan- 
der on  the  north,  extending '  into  the  Wind  River  Indian 
Reservation. 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


Distillation  of  Lander  Petroleum. 

Soo  cubic  centimeters  of  oil  taken.     Each  fraction  is  5  per  cent. 


No.  of  fraction 

Boiling 
Point 
Centigrade 

Specific 
Gravity 

.8100 
.8218 
.8313 
.8400 
.8452 
.8500 
.8510 
.8565 
.8640 
.8680 
.8740 
.8725 
.8745 
.8820 
.8835 
.8705 
.8505 
.8800 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

Cold  Test 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

62 
77 
93 
109 
122 
135 
137 
142 
157 
169 
178 
167 
167 
184 
177 
132 
84 
84 

°F. 

144 
171 

200 
229 
252 
275 
279 
288 
315 
337 
353 
333 
333 
364 
351 
270 
184 
184 

°C. 

-9 
—2 
1 
5 
0 
9 

°F. 

16 

28 
34 
41 

32 

48 

1  
2  
3  
4 

155-215 
215-235 
235-250 
252-265 
265-280 
280-285 
285-290 
290-295 
295-310 
310-325 
325-340 
340-345 
345-355 
355-365 
365-375 
375 
380 
385 

42.8 
40.4 
38.4 
36.7 
35.6 
34.6 
34.4 
33.4 
31.0 
31.3 
30.2 
30.5 
30.1 
28.7 
28.5 
30.8 
34.5 
29.1 

51 
64 
82 
94 
107 
117 
120 
124 
137 
147 
152 
147 
151 
137 
142 
109 
57 
57 

124 

148 
180 
202 
225 
243 
248 
256 
279 
297 
306 
297 
304 
279 
288 
226 
135 
135 

5  
6 

7  

8  
9 

10  
11  
12  
13  
14  .  . 

15  

16  .... 

17.   .. 
18.   .       ......... 

Distillation  of  Shoshone  Petroleum. 

500  cubic  centimeters  of  oil  distilled.     Each  fraction  its  5  per  cent. 


No.  of  fraction 

Boiling 
Point 
Centigrade 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

Cold  Test 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

1  

2  . 

165-265 
265-495 
295-305 
305-325 
325-335 
335 
335 
325 
315 
305 
255 

.8590 
.8840 
.8888 
.9065 
.9125 
.9235 
.9175 
.8800 
.8995 
.8955 
.8790 

32.0 
28.4 
27.5 
24.4 
23.4 
21.6 
22.6 
29.1 
25.6 
26.3 
29.3 

27 
72 
72 
82 
92 
107 
97 
42 
37 
40 
37 

81 
162 
162 
180 
198 
225 
207 
108 
99 
104 
99 

67 
137 
122 
139 
147 
167 
155 
64 
62 
67 
57 

153 

279 
252 
283 
297 
333 
311 
148 
144 
153 
135 

—10 
-  7 
—10 
-11 
4 
-10 

14 
19 
14 
30 
39 
14 

3  

4  
5 

g 

7  

8 

9  
10  .   . 

11  

The  Salt  Creek  Oil  Basin  is  situated  fifty  miles  north  of 
Casper,  Natrona  County.  This  oil  is  the  finest  lubricating  oil 
in  the  world.  It  is  hauled  in  wagons  a  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
to  Casper,  to  be  refined. 

Analysis  of  Oil  from  Salt   Creek  Basin,  Natrona   County. 
Crude  oil — red  by  transmitted  and  olive  green  by  reflected  light ;  specific  gravity,  .9050  (25.2°B.) 


No.  ot 
Distillate 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Remarks 

°C. 

°F. 

1  . 

120-210 
210-265 
265-275 
275-280 
280-285 
285-290 
290-320 
320-340 

248-410 
410-510 
510-528 
528-536 
536-544 
544-554 
554-608 
608-612 

.8600 
.8710 
.8770 
.8730 
.8622 
.8393 
.8518 
.8610 
.8883 

32.6 
32.4 
30.3 
30.4 
33.3 
38.0 
35.4 
33.4 
28.4 

Flashes  at  50°C.(121°F.) 
Flashes  at  98°C.(219°F.) 

2  
3            ... 

4 

5  
6  

7 

8  

9  
10.   . 

Coke  ' 

Color  of  above  :     Nos. 
the  crude  oil ;  No.  10,  black. 


to  9,  from  dull  straw  color  by  regulai  gradations  to  the  color  of 


OIL. 


Uinta  County  Oil  Fields. — This  district  includes  several 
fields — Bear  River  Basin,  Round  Mountain,  Fossil,  Spring 
Valley,  Twin  Creek,  Carter  and  Milliard — and  has  many  na- 
tural advantages  over  the  other  districts  on  account  of  its 
proximity  to  transportation,  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and 
the  points  of  distribution,  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden. 

The  following  analysis  is  a  fair  representation  of  the  oil 
from  several  fields  in  this  district: 

Distillation  of  Uinta   County  Petroleum. 


By  Heating  and  Chang- 
ing Temperature 

The  Percentage 
Distilled  off 

Specific 
Gravity 
of 

Hydrom- 
eter 

Nature  of  Product 

From 

To 

By  Vol. 

By  Wt. 

Product 

per  cent. 

per  cent. 

A   ... 

660<F. 

302°F, 

15 

17.1 

0.740 

60 

Gasoline  and  benzine 

B   .    .    . 

302 

491 

33.1 

33.4 

0.802 

46 

Illuminating 

Heavy  illuminating, 

C   .    .    . 

491 

662 

26.5 

27.1 

0.830 

35 

as  Signal  or  Head- 

light 

D  .    .    . 

6(52 

Boiled  dry 

19.5 

20.4 

0.840 

31 

Lubricating  Oil  and 

Paraffin 

Residue 

Bituminous,  soluble 

9 

1 

" 

Carbon  &  ash,  insol. 

9 

1 

Per  cent. 

Naphtha,  60°  F.  (gasoline  and  benzine) 27.0 

Water  white  kerosene,  45°  Baum£,  145°  flash,  172°  fire  test. 25. 5 

Signal  and  headlight,  45°  Baum£,  300°  fire  test 7.0 

Lubricating  reduced  stock,  23.5°  Baum£ 40.5 


100 

The  cold  test  of  the  crude  oil  is  58°  F.,  and  the  amount  of 
crystallized  paraffin  that  was  present  in  the  lubricating  stock 
is  18.5  per  cent. 

The  Newcastle  Oil  Field  is  located  in  the  vicinity  of  New- 
castle, county  seat  of  Weston  County,  on  the  Burlington  rail- 
road. 

This  petroleum  is  similar  in  composition  to  the  Salt  Creek 
oils  and  belongs  to  the  class  of  heavy  oils,  and  is  not  suitable 
for  the  production  of  gasoline  or  kerosene,  although  they  can 
be  obtained  from  it.  Its  chief  value  will  be  for  lubricating  and 
for  fuel  purposes.  It  is,  in  its  natural  state,  an  excellent  lubri- 
cant, has  a  high  gravity  and  low  cold  test,  a  high  viscosity 
and  shows  no  paraffin  or  asphalt.  This  oil  is  also  well  fitted 
for  the  manufacture  of  gas. 

The  Newcastle  petroleum  as  represented  by  the  samples 
taken  from  the  pit  of  Eagle  Spring  has  a  specific  gravity  of 
.9168  (22.8°  Baum£).  It  flashes  at  122°  C.  (251.6°  F.)  and 


THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


takes  fire  at  ^53°  C.  (307.4°  F.).  The  odor  is  not  disagreeable, 
and  for  many  purposes  it  could  be  sold  as  a  lubricating  oil  in 
a  crude  state.  No  paraffin  crystallizes  out  on  cooling  and  little 
or  no  asphalt  is  left  on  distilling.  The  viscosity  at  60°  F.  is 
29.43,  using  Engler's  viscosimeter  and  compared  with  the  vis- 
cosity of  water. 

Distillation  of  Newcastle  Petroleum  jrom  the  Pit. 


i5To  cc.  in  copper  flask.     Collected  in  5  per  cent  fractions. 

Flashing 

Burning 

Fraction 

No. 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Point 

Point 

Remarks 

°c. 

OF. 

°C. 

op. 

1  

.868 

31.2 

80 

176 

97 

207 

Light  ye'low 

2  

.874 

OQ1 

30.2 
on  o 

89 

guff 

192 

OfUi 

117 

19'? 

242 

9M 

slight  green  fluorescence 

3  

4  .   . 

.ool 
.888 

ffa.6 

27.8 

y( 

108 

4lH) 

226 

-l£f 

137 

iiOU 

278 

, 

5  .   - 

.892 

26.9 

100 

212 

144 

291 

4                             .                           «<                 f      .,                                        ,< 

6.   . 

.897 

26.0 

91 

196 

145 

293 

'            '       green  fluoresence 

7  .   . 

.897 

28.0 

70 

158 

142 

288 

*                             t                         tt                                        n 

8.   . 

.897 

26.0 

47 

117 

135 

275 

1             I            ,1                  ,' 

9  .   . 

.900 

25.2 

60 

140 

146 

295 

R  ddisn  yellow,  green  fluoresence 

10.   . 

.903 

25.0 

65 

149 

153 

307 

*«               «             «<                 <« 

11.   ..       . 

.903 

25.0 

73 

163 

159 

318 

R  d,  strong  fluoresence 

12  ... 

.903 

25.0 

77 

170 

154 

309 

Dark  red,  strong  fluoresence 

13  ...       . 

.900 

25.2 

83 

181 

168 

334 

«                                   «. 

14.   ..       . 

.874 

30.1 

35 

95 

89 

192 

'                                     « 

15  

.869 

31.0 

37 

99 

64 

147 

«                                    * 

16     .... 

.897 

26.0 

39 

102 

101 

214 

<                                    < 

17  

.900 

25.2 

51 

124 

104 

219 

18  

.890 

27.5 

50 

122 

99 

210 

« 

19  .    . 

.908 

24.8 

35 

95 

87 

188 

<                                   « 

The  Bonanza  Oil  Field  and  the  Cottonwood  Oil  Field  are 

in  close  proximity  to  each  other  in  Big  Horn  County,  near  the 
No  Wood  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Big  Horn.  Active  develop- 
ment work  is  now  being  carried  on  in  this  district,  a  very  fine 
grade  of  oil  having  been  found. 

Analysis  of  Bonanza  Oil. — Specific  gravity,  .8446  (36° 
Baum£).  Color:  Red;  strong  green  fluorescence.  Odor: 
Like  kerosene.  Flashing  point:  13°  C.  (55°  F.).  Burning 
point:  35°  C.  (95°  F.). 

Distillation  into  10  per  cent  fractions : 
Fraction.          Boiling  Point.  Color. 

C.— 142°  C Water  white. 

C.— 177°  C Water  white. 

C.— 209°  C Water  white. 

C.— 240°  C Straw. 

C. — 265°  C Darker  yellow. 

C. — 303°  C Darker  yellow,  slight  fluo- 
rescence. 

C. — 350°  C Reddish     yellow,     stronger 

fluorescence. 

C. — 380°  C Reddish    yellow,     stronger 

fluorescence. 

C. — 400°  C Red,  bluish  fluorescence. 

0  C.  Seven  per  cent  collected. 


No 

i.  .  . 

.  .  .   80° 

No 

2 

142° 

No 

?     . 

.177° 

No 

A 

200° 

No 

^.  . 

.  .  .  ^,wy 
.  .  .  240° 

No 

6 

26q° 

No 

7 

^^o 
^o^° 

No. 

8 

•     '  3^3 

..^0° 

No.   9 380 

No.  10 400 


OIL. 


117 


This  petroleum  will  work  up  into  the  following  products : 

Gasoline 20  to  25  per  cent 

Kerosene 55  to  60  per  cent 

Light  lubricating  oil 5  to  10  per  cent 

Paraffin 2  to    4  per  cent 

Coke  and  loss 4  to    6  per  cent 

The  Douglas  Oil  Field  is  situated  a  short  distance  south 
of  Douglas,  county  seat  of  Converse  County,  elevation  5,000 
feet.  The  quality  of  the  crude  oil  in  this  section  is  exceptional 
and  will  work  up  into  remarkable  lubricating  oils. 

Distillation  of  Douglas  Petroleum. 

Amount  used,  500  cc.,  in  grammes,  480.5  gr. ;  Specific  Gravity,  .9610;  Degree  Baume,  16  ; 
Flashing  Point,  164  °  C.  (327  °  F.) ;  Burning  Point,  195  °  C.  (383  °  F.) 


Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing  Point 

Burning 
Point 

Amount 
Grammes 

°C. 

OF. 

OC. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

A  . 
B  . 
C  
D.  . 
E  
F  . 

25.00 
22.01 
22.20 
22.03 
22.13 
21.58 
21.89 
22.75 
22.82 
22.69 
22.55 
22.73 
22.78 
22.66 
22.50 
22.80 
7.36 

170-279 
279-308 
308-310 
310-312 
312-317 
317-324 
324-345 
345-350 
350-341 
341-338 
338-348 
348-340 
340-334 
334-321 
321-309 
309- 

338-534 
534-586 
586-590 
590-593 
593-602 
602-615 
615-653 
653-662 
662-645 
645-640 
640-658 
658-644 
644-633 
633-609 
609-588 
588- 

.8805 
.8880 
.8810 
.8852 
.8634 
.8757 
.9100 
.9128 
.9075 
.9022 
.9090 
.9110 
.9063 
.9000 
.9122 
.9200 

29. 
27.6 
28.9 
28.1 
32.1 
29.9 
23.8 
23.4 
24.3 
25.2 
24. 
23.7 
24.5 
25.5 
23.5 
22.1 

50 

122 

95 

203 

30 

86 

86 

186 

Below  15 
27' 
Below'  15 
Below  15 

59 

80  " 

28 
'96' 

82 
204  ' 
129  ' 

G  
H  

t.:.:.:.i; 

L 

59 

54 

59 

58 

136 

M  
N  
0  
P 

Below  15 

59 

47 

116 

Below  15 

59 

20 

68 

Q  

The  Oil  Mountain  Field  is  situated  twenty-five  miles  west 
of  Casper,  Natrona  County.  This  petroleum  is  principally 
valuable  for  lubricating  purposes,  although  the  most  of  it  could 
be  worked  up  into  kerosene  for  open  lamps,  such  as  miners  use. 

Distillation  in  a  Vacuum  of  Petroleiim  from  Oil  Mountain. 
10  per  cent  fractions,  35  millimeters  pressure. 


No. 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flas 
Po 

OG. 

ling 
mt 

OF. 

Burning 
Point 

OC. 

°F. 

OG. 

OF. 

1 
2 

180-211 
211-242 
242-269 
269-276 
276-310 
310-320 
320-335 
335-340 
340-340 

356-412 
412-468 
468-516 
516-527 
527-590 
590-608 
608-635 
635-644 
644-644 

.873 
.881 
.893 
.899 
.906 
.909 
.910 
.898 
.894 
.897 

30.4 
29.0 
26.8 
26.0 
25.5 
24.0 
23.0 
26.0 
26.8 
26.0 

112 
137 
155 

160 
193 
200 
167 

98 
80 

234 
279 
311 
320 
379 
392 
333 
208 
176 

196 
201 
223 
237 
250 
287 
255 
203 
179 

385 
394 
433 
459 
482 
549 
491 
397 
354 

3  

4 

5  
6  
7  
8  
9 

10      

The  Dutton  Oil  Field  is  situated  partly  in  Fremont  County 
and  partly  in  Natrona  County.  Many  oil  springs  are  found 
here  and  natural  gas  is  quite  abundant.  There  is  practically 


n8 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


no  development  in  this  district.    The  oil  has  a  gravity  of  .927 
(21°  B.). 

The  Belle  Fourche  Oil  Field  is  situated  about  fifteen  miles 
north  of  Moorcroft,  on  the  Burlington  railroad,  in  Crook 
County.  In  the  early  history  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the 
Black  Hills,  needing  lubricating  oil  for  the  machinery,  men 
were  employed  in  this  field  in  collecting  oil  from  the  springs, 
which  was  transported  by  wagon  to  Deadwood  and  there  sold 
for  $28  per  barrel. 

Belle  Fourche  Petroleum. 


No. 

Per 
Cent 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Bun 
Po 

°C. 

50 
69 
77 
85 
104 
110 
119 
124 
130 
138 
145 
145 
155 
167 
167 
155 
135 
125 

ling 
nt 

°F. 

°C. 

OF, 

°C. 

°F. 

1  

2.74 
2.30 
2.01 
2.74 
2.13 
3.07 
3.28 
4.11 
4.27 
4.66 
4.27 
5.09 
4.32 
4.77 
6.29 
9.53 
6.74 
10.79 
14.98 
1.91 

Below  200 
200-230 
230-240 
240-250 
250-260 
260-270 
270-280 
280-290 
290-300 
300-310 
310-320 
320-330 
330-340 
340  350 
350-360 
360-370 
370-380 
380-390 
390-iOO 
Residue  . 

Below  392 
392-446 
446-464 
464-482 
482-500 
500-518 
518-536 
536-554 
554-572 
572-590 
590-608 
608-626 
626-644 
644-662 
662-680 
680-698 
698-716 
716-734 
734-752 

.775 
.828 
.846 
.852 
.857 
.863 
.869 
.874 
.879 
.883 
.889 
.892 
.894 
.898 
.899 
.899 
.901 
.907 
.910 

50.0 
39.1 
35.4 
34.3 
33.3 
32.2 
31.1 
30.2 
29.3 
28.6 
27.5 
27.0 
26.6 
25.9 
25.7 
25.7 
25.4 
24.4 
23.8 

37 
55 
67 
74 
84 
92 
100 
110 
115 
118 
126 
120 
117 
110 
96 
75 
55 
42 

99 
131 
153 
165 

183 
198 
212 
230 
239 
244 
259 
248 
243 
280 
205 
167 
131 
108 

'l22' 
156 
171 
185 
219 
230 
246 
255 
266 
280 
293 
293 
311 
333 
333 
311 
274 
257 

2  
3  
4 

5  
6 

7  
8  .... 

9  
10  

11 

12  
13  
14  
15  
16 

17  
18  
19  
20  

The  Powder  River  Oil  Field  is  located  on  the  South  Fork 
of  Powder  River,  sixty  miles  northwest  of  Casper,  county  seat 
of  Natrona  County ;  fifty  miles  south  of  Buffalo,  county  seat  of 
Johnson  County.  There  are  many  oil  springs  in  this  field. 
This  is  one  of  the  best  fields  in  Wyoming ;  the  structural  feat- 
ures are  ideal.  This  petroleum  is  heavy  and  black ;  the  odor  is 
slight,  resembling  common  kerosene,  and  in  general  character 
is  similar  to  Salt  Creek  oil  and  the  Popo  Agie  oil. 

Distillation  in  a    Vacuum  of  Petroleum  from   Oil  Canon,  Powder  River  Field. 

10  per  cent  fractions,  35  millimeters  pressure. 


No. 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

°c. 

°F. 

1. 

2  
3         .   . 

130-180 
180-2CO 
200-220 
220-246 
246-248 
248-308 
308-334 
334-320 
320-364 

266-356 
356-392 
392-428 
428-475 
475-478 
478-586 
586-633 
633-608 
608-687 

.842 
.860 
.870 
.888 
.902 
.902 
.957 
.957 
.882 
.900 

36.1 
32.4 
30.8 
27.5 
25.2 
25.2 
16.9 
16.9 
28.6 
25.4 

57 

72 
77 
74 
176 
190 
184 
67 
55 
47 

135 
162 
171 
165 
349 
373 
363 
153 
131 
117 

71 

95 
92 

110 
205 
228 
249 
118 
83 
93 

160 
203 
198 
230 
401 
442 
480 
244 
181 
199 

4 

5  
6.   

7 

$ 

9         

10                       ... 

WYOMING  MANUFACTURES.  119 

The  Rattlesnake  and  Arago  Oil  Fields  are  on  the  north- 
east slope  of  the  Rattlesnake  Mountains  in  Natrona  County. 
Here  is  found  asphaltum  in  sufficient  quantities  for  commercial 
importance,  if  it  were  not  for  the  lack  of  transportation. 

Development. — The  successful  and  profitable  development 
of  many  of  the  oil  fields  depends  largely  upon  the  construction 
of  new  railway  lines — an  investment  fully  warranted  by  this 
resource — but  there  are  a  great  many  opportunities  presented 
in  many  of  the  fields  which  are- adjacent  to  present  railway  lines 
for  profitable  and  highly  remunerative  development. 


Wyoming  Manufactures. 


For  thirty  years  Wyoming,  with  its  97,000  square  miles 
of  mountains  and  plains,  suitable  for  the  grazing  of  innumer- 
able flocks  and  herds,  has  been  looked  upon  as  a  purely  stock- 
raising  and  mining  region,  but  a  change  is  coming  over  the 
spirit  of  her  dreams.  The  gigantic  irrigation  projects  now 
under  full  headway  have  attracted  wide  attention  to  our  agri- 
cultural possibilities.  Under  the  reclamation  act,  passed  by 
Congress  three  years  ago,  the  United  States  Government  is 
about  to  reclaim  several  hundred  thousand  acres  of  Wyoming 
soil.  This,  in  connection  with  numerous  individual  projects, 
has  served  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  Wyoming  has  some 
eight  million  or  ten  million  acres  of  land  susceptible  of  irriga- 
tion and  which  can  be  made  as  productive  as  any  soil  in  the 
world.  Therefore,  it  is  evident  that  this  state  will  in  the  near 
future  be  transformed  from  a  purely  pastoral  region  into  one 
of  the  foremost  agricultural  commonwealths  in  the  west.  As 
agriculture  is  the  basis  of  all  wealth,  it  naturally  follows  that 
varied  and  innumerable  resources  heretofore  almost  unthought 
of  will  spring  into  life.  Even  now  some  of  the  great  railroad 
systems  of  the  country  are  contemplating  extensive  construc- 
tion within  our  borders,  and  doubtless  the  next  three  years  will 
witness  more  railroad  building  in  Wyoming  than  in  any  other 
state  in  the  Union.  Heretofore  one  of  our  greatest  drawbacks 
has  been  the  lack  of  railroad  facilities,  but,  unless  all  signs  fail, 
we  will  not  have  this  to  contend  with  for  very  long. 

Increase  in  population  will  bring  manufacturing  establish- 
ments. There  are  grand  opportunities.  Wyoming  possesses 
four  elements  that  would  make  a  great  manufacturing  state, 
had  she  nothing  more — iron,  coal,  copper  and  oil.  And  these 
elements  exist  here  in  almost  unlimited  quantities.  The  Colo- 


I2Q  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

rado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company  sends  to  Guernsey,  Wyo.,  for 
the  iron  with  which  to  make  its  finest  steel.  That  iron  should 
be  manufactured  into  the  finished  product  in  this  state.  Im- 
mense steel  plants  could  be  successfully  operated  within  our 
borders.  The  coal,  the  iron  and  the  limestone  should  be 
brought  together  and  the  magic  wands  of  capital  and  labor  will 
doubtless  do  it  in  the  near  future.  Transportation  costs  too 
much  money  for  capitalists  to  forever  ship  our  rich  raw  ma- 
terials to  factories  beyond  our  borders. 

At  the  present  time  we  have  450  manufacturing  establish- 
ments in  Wyoming,  representing  an  investment  of  over 
$3,000,000.  All  these  establishments  are  doing  well,  but  there 
is  a  wide  field  and  great  demand  for  more  institutions  of  this 
character.  Iron  and  steel  plants  could  be  established  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  our  great  iron  mines  at  Guernsey,  Hart- 
ville  and  Sunrise,  saving  the  expense  of  long  haulage  and 
utilizing  the  cheap  water  power,  which  may  be  obtained  from 
the  immense  dams  soon  to  be  constructed  on  the  Platte  River 
by  the  government  and  obtaining  either  coal  or  coke  from  near 
by  coal  fields,  and  with  the  advantage  of  railroad  facilities  east 
and  west,  they  could  certainly  be  operated  more  cheaply  than 
like  establishments  situated  hundreds  of  miles  away  from  the 
mines  and  necessarily  paying  enormous  freight  charges  for  the 
transportation  of  the  raw  material. 

The  wonderful  onyx  which  is  found  in  unlimited  quan- 
tities in  Northern  Laramie  County  is  transported  at  great  cost 
in  a  crude  state  to  be  manufactured  in  distant  localities,  the 
waste,  of  course,  being  enormous.  Polishing  and  manufactur- 
ing plants  could  be  located  right  at  the  mines  and  the  finished 
product  shipped  direct  to  market.  In  several  localities,  par- 
ticularly near  Laramie,  Wyo.,  cement  and  plaster  of  paris 
plants  are  now  in  operation,  but  more  could  be  worked  with 
great  profit  and  the  output  tremendously  increased.  In  the 
southern  and  eastern  sections  of  the  state  are  immense  quan- 
tities of  mineral  paint  only  requiring  the  investment  of  small 
capital  to  be  manufactured  into  a  paying  product.  The  exhibit 
of  various  kinds  of  building  stones  and  marble  at  St.  Louis 
attracted  wide  attention  to  the  possibility  of  manufacturing 
these  products  as  successfully  in  Wyoming  as  in  Vermont. 

In  five  widely  separated  fields  oil  has  been  discovered  in 
practically  unlimited  quantities,  and  over  two  hundred  varie- 
ties of  illuminating  and  lubricating  oils  have  been  manufac- 
tured from  the  natural  product.  Many  bi-products  of  great 
value  are  also  secured  from  this  natural  oil.  At  Casper,  Wyo., 
a  small  refinery  has  been  in  successful  operation  for  many 
years. 


WYOMING  MANUFACTURES.  121 

Dairy  products  are  also  receiving  considerable  attention, 
and  in  Star  Valley,  in  Uinta  County,  two  large  creameries  have 
been  established,  which  ship  large  quantities  of  butter  and 
cheese  as  far  west  as  Washington  and  Oregon,  and  north  to 
the  Butte  and  Anaconda  mines,  in  Montana. 

The  development  of  agriculture  will  call  for  the  establish- 
ment of  many  manufactories  in  connection  therewith,  such  as 
canning  factories  of  all  kinds  and  sugar  beet  plants.  Speaking 
of  the  latter,  it  is  noted  in  one  of  the  reports  of  the  Secretary 
of  Agriculture  that  beets  which  have  been  grown  upon  irri- 
gated lands  in  Wyoming  are  uniformly  of  high  character  and 
rich  in  sugar.  It  is  evident  that  there  is  perhaps  no  crop 
which  can  be  so  successfully  cultivated  upon  irrigated  lands 
as  sugar  beets.  For  then  we  have  almost  perfect  climatic  con- 
ditions. During  the  growing  seasons  almost  unbroken  sun- 
shine prevails,  a  condition  essentially  favorable  to  the  pro- 
duction and  storage  of  large  crops  of  sugar  beets.  Then  in 
this  high  altitude  summer  is  not  too  warm  for  the  proper 
growth  of  the  beets,  and  the  control  of  the  water  for  irrigation 
purposes  renders  it  possible  to  stimulate  the  growth  of  beets 
during  the  earlier  periods  of  the  summer,  while  the  withdrawal 
of  the  water  prevents  any  second  growth  after  the  beets  have 
matured. 

Actual  experiments  have  given  the  following  percentages 
of  sugar  in  beets  grown  in  different  localities  in  the  state : 
15.25  per  cent  at  Lander,  15.85  at  Saratoga,  17.85  at  Wheat- 
land  and  18.36  at  Sheridan,  and  as  high  as  twenty-four  tons 
to  the  acre  have  been  produced. 

Some  8,000,000  acres  of  land  in  Wyoming  are  covered  with 
splendid  pine  timber,  and  the  lumber  industry  is  susceptible  of 
great  development. 

Wyoming  is  particularly  fortunate  in  having  immense  op- 
portunities for  water  power  plants,  the  power  from  which  by 
means  of  electricity  can  be  carried  to  any  point  where  it  may 
be  desired  to  establish  a  manufacturing  plant.  Her  inexhaust- 
ible supply  of  coal  and  coke  is  also  worthy  of  consideration  in 
this  connection.  Her  laws  are  very  favorable  and  many  of  her 
cities  offer  special  inducements  for  manufactures. 

Bear  in  mind  that  Wyoming  is  rapidly  changing  from  a 
great  pastoral  region  of  flocks  and  herds  to  an  agricultural 
commonwealth,  and  that  this  change  will  vastly  increase  the 
demand  for  manufactured  products.  Remember  that  heretofore 
we  have  been  handicapped  by  lack  of  transportation  facilities, 
but  that  now  we  are  about  to  witness  more  railroad  building  in 
Wyoming  during  the  next  five  years  than  in  any  other  state. 
Our  products  will  then  have  free  access  to  the  great  market 
east,  west,  north  and  south.  Also  remember  our  inexhaustible 


122  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

coal  measuers,  our  unclaimed  water  power,  our  unlimited  nat- 
ural resources  of  oil,  iron,  soda,  wool,  marble,  building  stone, 
fruits  and  vegetables,  and  then  picture,  if  you  can,  the  limit  of 
successful  manufactures.  Here  in  this  high  altitude,  under 
cloudless  skies  and  upon  rich  irrigated  land,  the  sugar  beet 
reaches  perfection  both  in  quality  and  quantity.  Sugar  can  be 
manufactured  cheaply  and  successfully.  Here  the  wool  can  be 
manufactured  into  cloth  and  the  cloth  shipped  to  market,  in- 
stead of  paying  freight  through  to  Boston  annually  on  thou- 
sands of  tons  of  Wyoming  sand.  Here  we  can  grow  the  finest 
fruits  and  vegetables,  and  canning  factories  can  supply  this 
whole  interior  region.  Here  our  natural  oil  can  be  trans- 
formed into  150  varieties  of  the  finest  lubricating  and  illuminat- 
ing oils  on  the  market,  together  with  numberless  bi-products. 
Here  steel  can  be  manufactured  by  the  side  of  the  iron  mine, 
and  one  pound  of  watch  springs  will  have  greater  value  than  a 
car  load  of  the  high  grade  Bessemer  steel  ores  shipped  today 
by  the  train  load  from  Guernsey  to  Pueblo,  Colo.,  for  manu- 
facture. Here  great  beds  of  natural  soda  (the  most  important 
of  all  the  articles  of  chemical  manufacture)  can  be  reduced  into 
numerous  chemical  products,  including  even  glass.  And  so 
one  might  go  on  enumerating  the  many  opportunities  for  pro- 
gress in  this  particular  line  of  occupation. 


Educational  Advantages. 

The  State  of  Wyoming  is  notable  for  the  educational  ad- 
vantages it  gives  the  children  of  its  citizens.  In  educational 
matters  it  leads  many  of  the  older  states,  in  that  it  employs 
a  larger  number  of  teachers  in  proportion  to  its  population ; 
that  its  school  year  is  longer;  that  the  salaries  paid  its  teach- 
ers, especially  those  paid  women  teachers,  are  higher,  and  that 
its  school  methods  are  at  all  times  kept  in  unison  and  harmony 
with  the  latest  and  best  in  modern  education. 

The  amount  of  funds  raised  in  Wyoming  for  school  pur- 
poses by  voluntary  taxation  is  liberal,  and  expenditures  in  edu- 
cational matters  are  not  stinted.  The  district  school  board 
provides  free  text-books  for  all  pupils.  The  latest  and  most 
approved  text-books  have  been  purchased  and  supplied  to  every 
school  district  in  the  state.  The  result  of  this  liberality  and  of 
the  careful  attention  given  the  schools  of  the  state  by  its  citi- 
zens and  school  officers  has  been  to  keep  the  percentage  of 
illiteracy  in  Wyoming  below  that  of  any  state  or  territory.  A 


EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES.  123 

practical  illustration  of  this  was  shown  at  the  muster  of  troops 
in  the  state  for  service  in  the  Spanish  war.  Of  1,000  young 
men  who  enlisted  in  Wyoming,  not  one  was  unable  to  sign 
his  name  to  the  muster  rolls,  and  every  man  had  received  a 
fair  education. 

The  last  school  census  showed  that  there  were  22,391 
school  children  in  the  state.  These  are  in  attendance  at  615 
schools.  Sparsely  settled  communities  in  Wyoming  enjoy 
equal  school  facilities  with  more  thickly  settled  regions.  It  is 
the  universal  custom  in  the  state  to  establish  a  school  if  five 
pupils  can  attend.  A  compulsory  school  law  is  on  the  statute 
books,  but  it  has  never  been  found  necessary  to  enforce  it,  as 
school  attendance  is  voluntary. 

The  number  of  teachers  employed  in  the  state  is  about 
700.  The  salaries  paid  teachers  in  Wyoming  average  $70.78 
per  month  for  male  teachers  and  $46.39  for  female,  which,  when 
it  is  considered  that  the  country  schools  of  the  state  form  the 
great  majority  of  the  entire  number,  compare  most  favorably 
with  salaries  paid  in  other  states. 

The  400  school  buildings  of  the  state  are  well  built  and 
comfortable.  The  cost  of  construction  has  been  $503,390.43, 
while  repairs  and  improvements  amounting  to  ten  thousand 
dollars  are  made  annually.  As  the  sparsely  settled  communi- 
ties of  the  state  grow,  the  primitive  log  building  which  at 
first  constitutes  the  school  house  gives  place  to  the  neat 
frame  or  brick  structure  with  all  the  modern  apparatus  for 
successful  educational  work. 

The  State  Superintendent  has  prepared  a  uniform  course 
of  instruction  for  the  graded  and  ungraded  schools  of  the 
entire  state.  This  has  served  to  systematize  the  work  of 
teachers  and  County  Superintendents,  and  has  added  ma- 
terially to  the  effectiveness  of  the  service. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  aids  to  the  support  and  main- 
tenance of  the  public  school  system  in  Wyoming  is  the  fund 
received  annually  from  the  rental  of  school  lands.  During 
the  year  ending  March  3ist,  1905,  the  sum  of  $80,747.27  was 
received  from  this  source  and  distributed  to  the  school  of- 
ficers of  each  county  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pupils 
in  each.  School  libraries  in  the  different  counties  contain 
20,000  volumes.  The  total  acreage  of  school  land  in  the 
state  which  may  be  utilized  for  this  purpose  is  3,600,000  acres. 
It  may  reasonably  be  expected  that  sufficient  income  will  be 
received  from  the  rental  of  school  lands  within  the  near  future 
to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  schools  of  the  state  to  the 
highest  degree,  and  this  without  imposing  additional  burdens 
upon  the  taxpayer. 


124  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The   University   of  Wyoming. 

The  University  of  Wyoming  is  a  part  of  the  free  public 
educational  system  of  the  state.  The  governing  body  of  the 
institution  is  a  Board  of  Trustees  appointed  by  the  Governor 
for  a  term  of  six  years,  as  provided  in  the  constitution  of  the 
state.  In  accordance  with  the  law  of  the  state,  the  University 
aims  to  complete  and  crown  the  work  that  is  begun  in  the 
public  schools  by  furnishing  the  ample  facilities  for  liberal 
education  in  literature,  science  and  art;  and  for  professional 
studies  in  mining,  mechanical  and  irrigation  engineering,  agri- 
culture and  commerce. 

The  College  of  Liberal  Arts  (including  the  Graduate 
School)  offers  a  four  years'  course  in  the  study  of  literature, 
art  and  science,  and  affords  opportunity  to  those  who  wish  to 
carry  their  studies  beyond  the  limit  of  the  regular  course. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  wish  to  be  trained  for  some 
special  profession,  four  schools  are  provided,  viz.,  the  Normal 
School,  the  School  of  Mines,  the  College  of  Agriculture  and 
the  College  of  Mechanical  Engineering.  These  courses  are 
designed  to  give  a  thorough  and  practical  preparation  for  the 
professions  most  in  demand  in  Wyoming.  , 

The  School  of  Commerce  offers  a  four  years'  course  in 
commercial  methods  and  practice.  The  four  years'  course 
includes,  also,  a  thorough  preparation  for  the  freshman  class 
of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts. 

The  School  of  Music  offers  a  seven  years'  course  in  piano 
and  vocal  training. 

The  Summer  School  offers  courses  running  for  six  weeks 
in  preparatory,  collegiate  and  normal  studies.  The  work  is 
adapted  especially  for  teachers. 

The  University  is  founded  and  maintained  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  as  useful  as  possible  to  the  people  of  Wyoming. 
A  university  has  a  double  duty.  It  is  to  advance  human 
knowledge  and  to  teach  that  which  is  already  known.  The 
University  of  Wyoming,  therefore,  devotes  its  attention  not 
only  to  the  study  of  problems  of  general  interest  and  theoret- 
ical importance,  but  especially  to  the  solution  of  those  prac- 
tical problems  which  confront  the  people  of  this  new  and 
undeveloped  state.  A  state  university,  too,  cannot  confine 
its  teachings  to  the  students  within  its  halls,  but  must  en- 
deavor as  far  as  possible  to  supply  to  those  who  ask  for  it 
impartial  and  reliable  information  on  any  of  the  problems 
which  confront  the  people  of  this  new  and  undeveloped  state. 

Besides  the  instruction  of  students  in  residence,  the  Uni- 
versity is  able  to  extend  its  educational  advantages  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  to  the  people  of  the  state  generally,  both  by 


EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES.  125 

lectures  and  correspondence.  It  should  be  understood  that 
the  library,  museums  and  laboratories  of  the  University  are 
for  the  benefit  of  everybody  in  the  state ;  and  as  far  as  the 
time  of  the  members  of  the  faculty  permits,  they  are  willing 
to  give  help  in  such  ways  as  advice  in  the  choice  of  books, 
arranging  courses  of  private  reading  and  study,  naming 
plants,  minerals  and  insects,  and  giving  information  on  the 
natural  resources  of  the  state  and  how  to  use  them. 

Buildings. — The  first  building  to  be  erected  on  the  campus 
was  the  Liberal  Arts  building.  It  is  150  feet  in  length  and 
50  feet  in  breadth,  having  three  stories  and  a  commodious 
garret  and  store  room,  above  the  basement.  The  material 
used  in  its  construction  is  native  sandstone.  The  rooms, 
twenty-eight  in  number,  as  well  as  all  the  corridors,  are 
heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by  electricity.  The  auditorium 
in  the  second  story  is  the  finest  assembly  hall  in  the  state, 
and  will  seat  with  comfort  four  hundred  people. 

A  second  building,  costing  $12,000,  with  a  commodious 
wing,  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1893  for  the  College  of 
Mechanical  Engineering.  Another  large  wing  was  added  in 
the  summer  of  1897.  The  Mechanical  building  is  constructed 
o'f  the  same  material  as  the  Liberal  Arts  building,  and  con- 
tains twelve  rooms.  The  new  wing  of  the  Mechanical  build- 
ing has  been  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  School  of  Mines. 
About  $12,000  has  already  been  spent  in  equipping  the  build- 
ing with  tools  and  machinery. 

A  third  building,  known  as  the  Hall  of  Science,  was  com- 
pleted in  1903.  The  building  has  been  so  planned  that  wings 
may  be  added  as  more  room  shall  be  needed.  The  portion  of 
the  building  already  constructed  is  50x80  feet,  with  a  two- 
story  extension  on  the  rear,  and  cost  $39,000.  In  this  building 
are  located  the  University  Museum,  rich  in  fossils,  especially 
of  the  Jurassic  period ;  the  Rocky  Mountain  Herbarium,  con- 
taining about  50,000  specimens,  and  the  laboratories  of  biol- 
ogy, geology  and  chemistry. 

The  Armory  and  Gymnasium  was  erected  in  1903  at  a 
cost  of  $15,000.  It  is  a  brick  structure,  with  stone  trimmings. 
The  entire  floor,  covering  a  space  of  45x90  feet,  is  available 
for  company  drill  and  team  work.  A  running  track  is  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling.  The  basement  of  the  building,  con- 
sisting of  five  rooms,  is  fitted  up  for  office,  bath  rooms  and 
armory. 

Equipment. — Since  the  founding  of  the  institution  more 
than  $100,000  has  been  expended  for  apparatus  in  the  different 
scientific  departments.  The  museum  has  a  large  and  valuable 
collection  of  fossils.  The  herbarium  contains  the  largest  col- 


126  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

lection  of  Rocky  Mountain  flora  in  existence.  The  shops  are 
well  equipped  for  woodwork,  ironwork,  founding  and  forg- 
ing. In  the  assaying  department  students  have  the  use  of 
three  single  and  one  double  furnace,  a  steam  rock  breaker,  a 
hand  crusher,  sampling  mill,  six  pulp  and  three  button  bal- 
ances. The  University  Library  contains  18,000  well  selected 
books,  besides  a  large  number  of  pamphlets. 

Original  Research. — The  Wyoming  Experiment  Station 
is  the  department  of  research  of  the  College  of  Agriculture 
of  the  University.  The  results  of  its  experiments  are  pub- 
lished in  bulletins,  which  are  sent  free  on  request  to  residents 
of  the  state.  Some  of  the  sixty-five  bulletins  thus  far  pub- 
lished are :  Potatoes,  Fruit  Growing  in  Wyoming,  Cultivated 
Shade  and  Forest  Trees,  Some  Native  Forage  Plants  for 
Alkali  Soils,  Alfalfa  as  a  Hay  Crop,  Wyoming  Sugar  Beets, 
Lamb  Feeding  Experiments,  Alkali,  Wheat  Culture.  At 
present  the  station  is  carrying  on  extended  experiments  in 
stock  feeding,  both  in  the  chemical  analysis  of  forage  plants 
and  in  the  digestion  of  selected  rations. 

The  School  of  Mines  has  issued  twelve  bulletins  on  the 
oil  and  mineral  resources  of  the  state. 

The  Professor  of  Chemistry  at  the  University  is  also 
State  Chemist.  Experiments  to  detect  food  adulteration  are 
constantly  in  progress  in  the  laboratories.  A  number  of  bul- 
letins have  been  published  on  this  subject. 

Settlers  new  to  the  country  will  find  in  these  university 
publications  information,  especially  as  to  crops  and  methods 
of  developing  our  resources,  which  may  save  thousands  of 
dollars  and  years  of  work  in  fruitless  experiments. 

The  Support  of  the  University. — The  University  is  sup- 
ported by  both  federal  and  state  aid.  The  federal  aid  consists 
of  the  Morrill  grant  of  1862  for  the  endowment  of  Colleges 
of  Agriculture  and  Mechanical  Arts,  and  the  Hatch  fund  of 
1887,  for  the  support  of  studies  pertaining  to  agriculture  and 
the  mechanical  arts.  The  state  aid  consists  of  the  %-mill 
annual  tax  on  the  property  valuation  of  the  state,  besides  spe- 
cial legislative  appropriations.  There  is  also  a  small  income 
from  University  lands. 

Frederick  Monroe  Tisdel,  Ph.  D.,  is  President  of  the 
University. 


The  Climate  and  Its  Benefits. 


Mountain  Ranges. — Nine-tenths  of  Wyoming  lies  within 
the   Rocky   Mountain   region.      Strictly   speaking,   the   whole 


THE;  CLIMATE  AND  ITS  BENEFITS.  127 

state  is  a  region  of  vast  plains,  relieved  by  broken  and  de- 
tached ranges  and  mountain  spurs.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state  we  encounter  the  Laramie  Range,  which  extends  north- 
westerly for  200  miles. 

Proceeding  westward,  after  traversing  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  Laramie  Plains,  we  come  to  the  Medicine  Bow 
Mountains.  Crossing  the  Platte  River,  which,  with  its  tribu- 
taries, occupies  a  breadth  of  fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles,  we 
come  to  the  main  chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  a  broken 
series  of  ranges  extending  through  the  state.  From  the  west- 
ern base  of  the  Laramie  Range,  after  crossing  the  Laramie 
Plains,  nearly  100  miles  in  width,  an  east  and  west  range  of 
mountains  is  found,  which  constitute  the  southern  front  of 
the  Sweetwater  Valley.  This  wall  bears  several  names,  to- 
wit:  Sweetwater,  Seminoe  and  Ferris  Mountains,  ranges 
about  five  to  twelve  miles  in  width,  and  in  length  almost 
eighty  miles.  West  of  these  lies  the  Green  River  Valley, 
sixty  to  seventy  miles  across. 

Returning  to  the  eastern  boundary,  we  find  the  Black 
Hills  extending  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  state,  where 
they  come  in  contact  with  the  Little  Missouri  and  Wolf 
Mountains,  whose  high  and  picturesque  heads  occupy  much 
of  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  state. 

Passing  over  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Powder  River 
and  its  tributaries,  towards  the  west,  we  come  to  the  mag- 
nificent Big  Horn  Range,  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  extending 
150  miles  in  Wyoming.  Beyond  flows  the  Big  Horn  River, 
watering  a  basin  fifty  to  one  hundred  miles  in  width.  Still 
beyond,  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  are  found  the  Owl 
Creek,  Rattlesnake  and  Wind  River  Mountains,  the  last  named 
being  the  most  extensive,  with  a  direction  corresponding  to 
that  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  fact,  they  form  a  part  of  this 
great  chain,  and,  extending  for  a  distance  of  200  miles  from 
the  point  of  departure  from  the  Sweetwater  Range,  finally  end 
in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 

Still  west  of  this  range  lie  the  upper  basins  of  the  Green 
and  Snake  Rivers,  the  two  being  separated  by  short  spurs, 
known  as  the  Gros  Ventre  and  Wyoming  Mountains,  con- 
necting the  Wind  River  with  the  Wasatch  referred  to  as  con- 
tributing, for  about  100  miles,  to  the  western  wall  of  the  state. 

From  \he  general  description  of  the  position,  extent  and 
course  of  mountain  ranges,  widely  distributed  over  the  state, 
it  will  be  seen  that  large  areas  of  valley  and  plain  must  exist. 

General. — There  is  no  region  of  equal  area  that  is  pos- 
sessed of  more  abounding  and  diversified  richness  of  resources 
and  possibility.  It  is  almost  as  limitless  in  undeveloped  op- 


128  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

portunities  as  it  was  when  Bonneville  first  broke  his  way  into 
Jackson  Hole — now  the  wonderland  of  the  United  States. 

Medical  Authorities. 

"In  selecting  a  climate,  the  question  of  degree  of  tem- 
perature is  a  minor  one.  A  dry,  equable  temperature  is  always 
preferable.  Dry  cold  is  not  dangerous,  and  is,  indeed,  prefer- 
able to  enervating  warmth."  (Wood  and  Fitz,  Practice  of 
Medicine.) 

George  Burney,  M.  D.,  says:  "In  selecting  a  climate  for 
a  consumptive,  the  first  question  which  occurs  to  us  is  the 
inquiry  as  to  the  proportion  of  sunny  days  in  which  outdoor 
exercise  can  be  safely  enjoyed.  In  the  great  majority  of  cases 
a  dry  climate,  with  abundant  sunshine  and  pure  air,  consti- 
tutes the  desideratum." 

Dr.  Weber  says:  "Setting  aside  individual  peculiarities, 
the  majority  of  tubercular  patients  do  best  at  a  height  of  three 
to  six  thousand  feet." 

Dr.  Knight  of  Boston  says:  "In  suitable  cases  (those  in 
which  large  cavities  are  not  formed  in  the  lungs)  the  improve- 
ment in  nutritive  activity  is  much  more  marked  in  mountain- 
ous regions  than  on  the  plains,"  and  that  "four  to  eight  thou- 
sand feet  is  the  proper  altitude." 

The  cases  that  are  most  favorably  impressed  here  are: 

1.  Where  the  apices  are  early  affected. 

2.  Those  without  cavities,  although  advanced  and  with 
consolidation. 

3.  Recent  cases  whose  salient  symptom  is  hemorrhage. 

4.  A  non-progressive  cavity  is  benefited. 

5.  Remaining    consolidation    after    pleurisy    and    pneu- 
monia. 

6.  Chronic  laryngeal  also  no  worse  here  than  elsewhere. 
Cure  for  Special  Maladies. — If  one  were  called  upon  to 

select  a  climate  calculated  to  benefit  a  patient  suffering  from 
a  particular  malady,  it  would  seem  the  most  rational  to  select 
one  where  that  particular  disease  or  class  of  diseases  did  not 
prevail,  and  as  endemic  phthisis  has  never  been  known  to 
generate  in  Wyoming,  no  stronger  argument  could  be  ad- 
vanced in  favor  of  this  being  a  curative  climate. 

Resorts  of  any  desirable  elevation  are  within  reach. 
Wyoming  presents  climatic  influences  equally  favorable  for 
the  restoring  of  those  invalided  by  bronchial  maladies  and 
catarrhal  states  of  the  throat  and  naso^pulmonary  air-pas- 
sages as  it  presents  for  the  allevation  and  cure  of  tuberculosis. 

This  is  the  region,  par  excellence,  for  asthmatic  people. 
Many  hundreds  of  people  of  all  ages  thus  afflicted  have  come 
here  from  the  low  altitudes  of  the  east  and  west,  have  been 


CANON  OF  SHOSHONE,  Six  MILES  WEST  OF  CODY. 


THE  CLIMATE  AND  ITS  BENEFITS.  129 

restored  to  health  and  vigor,  and  today  are  among  the  most 
active  and  prosperous  of  our  citizens. 

Our  altitude  does  not  militate  even  against  those  who 
have  valvular  disease  of  the  heart,  unless  where  compensation 
is  destroyed,  and  accompanied  by  dilation  and  weakness. 

Chronic  laryngitis  and  bronchitis  are  speedily  cured  by 
residence,  unless  they  exist  as  complications  of  advanced 
stages  of  consumption.  Persons  whose  habits  of  life  do  not 
allow  or  compel  them  to  fully  expand  their  lungs  in  a  pure 
atmosphere ;  pale,  anaemic  clerks,  those  of  sedentary  habits, 
with  hacking  coughs ;  nervous  and  dyspeptic  people ;  chil- 
dren with  narrow,  stooping  shoulders  and  flat  breasts,  with 
impaired  digestion,  should  come  to  these  mountains,  if  pos- 
sible, as  the  air  of  this  region  necessitates  full  breathing; 
every  cell  in  the  lungs  is  forced  into  activity,  straightening  the 
form,  increasing  the  breathing  area,  and  hurrying  the  blood, 
thus  purified,  freely  through  the  lungs.  The  choice  of  climate 
for  the  patient  is  the  most  important  part  of  the  treatment. 

Climatology — Record  for  Five  Years. 

Temperature. — The  mean  temperature  averaged  41.7  de- 
grees. August  was  the  warmest  month,  with  a  mean  of  67.4 
degrees,  and  December  was  the  coldest,  with  a  mean  of  17.4 
degrees.  The  highest  monthly  mean  was  73.4  degrees  for 
July,  and  the  lowest  was  5.8  degrees  for  December.  The 
highest  temperature  was  105  degrees,  during  July  and  Au- 
gust, and  the  lowest  was  30  degrees  below  zero,  during  De- 
cember, an  extreme  range  for  the  state  of  135  degrees. 

Precipitation. — The  yearly  precipitation  was  12.58  inches, 
slightly  below  the  normal.  May  was  the  month  of  greatest 
precipitation,  when  nearly  twice  the  normal  occurred.  Sep- 
tember was  the  dryest  month  of  the  year,  the  average  being 
that  of  0.25  of  an  inch,  or  about  one-fourth  of  the  normal. 
The  average  was  above  the  normal  the  remainder  of  the  year. 

Weather. — The  percentages  of  clear,  partly  cloudy  and 
cloudy  days  were  50,  32  and  18,  respectively.  There  was  an 
average  of  sixty-seven  days  on  which  o.oi  of  an  inch  or  more 
precipitation  fell.  Foggy  weather  in  the  state  was  not  usual, 
as  at  Lander  dense  fog  did  not  prevail  for  an  hour  at  any  time 
during  the  year,  and  at  Cheyenne  but  twice.  The  percentage 
of  sunshine  at  Cheyenne  was  69,  being  least  in  May,  43,  and 
greatest  in  September,  77. 

Climatic  Conditions. — The  heat  is  never  intense.  In  the 
.hottest  summer  weather  it  is  but  a  step  from  the  heat  of  the 
sunshine  into  the  shade,  which  is  always  cool.  Sunstroke  is 
unknown.  The  air  in  winter  is  clear  and  sharp,  but  easily 


130  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

borne  and  even  pleasant.  All  over  the  state— except  at  high 
altitudes — one  may,  even  in  midwinter,  sit  in  comfort  in  the 
sunshine  in  any  sheltered  corner.  In  the  shade  there  is  the 
tingle  of  northern  cold,  and  heavy  clothing  is  none  too  warm. 
The  tonic  effect  of  this  climate  upon  nutrition  is  from  this 
coolness  the  more  marked.  It  is  the  brilliant  and  continuous 
sunshine  which  is  much  praised  by  mountain  residents,  and 
which  is  misunderstood  to  refer  to  air.  The  invalid  who 
comes  to  Wyoming  for  a  winter  is  not  coming  to  a  climate  of 
balmy  warmth,  but,  rather,  and  better,  to  one  where  the  brac- 
ing cold  is  flooded  for  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  day 
with  bright  sunshine. 

Vacation  Resort  for  Tourists  and  Hunters. — There  is  no 
better  district  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  for  a  holiday  or  camp- 
ing tour  than  in  Wyoming.  The  stillness  of  the  mountain 
soothes  and  quiets  those  who  have  become  mentally  exhausted 
from  prolonged  strain  and  anxious  cares  or  absorbing  occupa- 
tions. Its  summer  is  cool,  and  in  the  higrter  parks  the  nights 
are  cold.  Autumn  is  an  unbroken  stretch  of  cool  and  sunshiny 
days.  Game  and  fish  are  abundant.  The  railroads  carry  one 
to  within  a  short  ride,  by  horse  or  wagon,  through  yet  un- 
broken wilderness.  From  June  to  October  is  the  season  for 
roughing  it.  With  restoration  to  health,  Wyoming  does  not 
say,  "Now  return  to  your  home,"  but,  rather,  welcomes  the 
restored  invalid  and  holds  out  to  him  many  inducements  to 
remain. 

Such,  briefly  sketched,  is  this  mountain  empire — vast  in 
extent,  presenting  the  most  picturesque  scenery,  the  greatest 
charm  of  climate,  the  riches  of  forest,  stream  and  mine,  a 
treasure  house  of  untold  wealth,  whose  unlimited  possibilities 
and  incalculable  resources,  together  with  the  bluest  and 
gentlest  of  heavens  bending  above,  invite  the  sick  and  wrell 
alike  to  come  and  partake  of  the  free  offering,  and  remain,  a 
valued  addition  to  our  population.  The  climate  is  one  of  the 
richest  endowments  of  Wyoming.  If  is  exhilarating ;  cheers 
and  braces  each  individual,  lending  character  to  our  civil  and 
industrial  life,  and  imparting  to  our  citizens  a  robustness  of 
physique  unequaled  in  any  country  in  the  entire  world. 


Hunting  and  Fishing. 

The  stringent  laws  for  the  protection  of  fish  and  game  en- 
forced in  Wyoming  during  the  past  ten  years  have  made  Jack- 
son Hole  the  greatest  big  game  hunting  ground  in  the  world. 
Five  thousand  elk  were  seen  there  last  fall  in  one  day.  Lying 


HUNTING  AND  FISHING.  131 

as  it  does  south  of  the  Yellowstone  Park,  it  has  been  a  safe  re- 
treat for  large  game  for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  gradually 
filled  up  with  the  game  driven  from  other  states.  Sportsmen 
may  leave  the  Union  Pacific  at  any  point  in  the  western  part 
of  the  state  and  outfit  for  the  Jackson  Hole  country.  Parties 
can  secure  outfits  at  Cody  and  find  competent  guides  who  will 
take  them  through  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  National  Park, 
Yellowstone  Forest  Reserve  and  Jackson  Hole. 

To  those  who  have  seen  some  of  the  thousands  of  elk  and 
deer  gathered  in  Jackson  Hole,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make 
any  explanation ;  others  must  satisfy  themselves. 

In  order  to  hunt  large  game  or  game  birds,  a  hunter  must 
procure  license.  To  an  elector  of  Wyoming,  or  a  soldier  or 
sailor  stationed  at  a  Government  Post  for  the  year  past,  a 
license  is  issued  upon  payment  of  $2.  For  a  non-resident  the 
fee  is  $5  for  a  gunner's  license  permitting  the  hunting  of  game 
birds,  and  $50  for  a  hunter's  license  for  the  killing  of  game 
animals.  Non-resident  hunters  must  be  accompanied  by  a 
licensed  guide  when  hunting  game  animals. 

During  the  open  season  licensed  parties  may  kill  not  to 
exceed  two  elk,  two  deer,  two  antelope  and  one  mountain 
sheep  between  September  15  and  November  15,  and  not  more 
than  twelve  game  birds  in  any  one  day.  The  barter  or  sale 
of  any  part  of  the  animals  or  birds,  above  mentioned,  or  the 
possession  of  more  than  the  specified  number,  is  prohibited, 
under  penalty  of  heavy  fine  or  imprisonment.  License  must 
be  carried  and  shown  upon  request.  Game  killed  by  non-resi- 
dent licensed  hunters  may  be  shipped  from  the  state,  upon  a 
certificate  from  a  justice  of  the  peace  stating  that  such  animals 
were  killed  according  to  law.  It  is  unlawful  to  sell  any  part 
of  any  wild  animal,  hides,  horns  or  tusks,  or  to  use  dogs  for 
the  purpose  of  coursing  or  running  the  animals  above  men- 
tioned. Taxidermists  cannot  buy  hides,  horns  or  any  part  of 
game  animals  or  birds,  but  mounted  birds  or  stuffed  heads 
and  horns  of  animals  lawfully  killed  may  be  shipped  within  or 
without  the  state. 

Open  Season. 

Grouse — Laramie,  Albany  and  Carbon  Counties,  August 
i  to  October  15. 

Grouse — Other  counties,  September  I  to  November  30. 
Sage  Chickens — August  i  to  October  15. 

Deer,  Elk,  Antelope  and  Mountain  Sheep — September  15 
to  November  15. 

Snipe,  Plover,  Ducks  and  Geese — September  i  to  May  i. 

What  of  the  Art  of  Angling? 

Wyoming  is  a  natural  home  of  the  trout.  Nature  planted 
them  in  the  head  waters  of  the  Colorado  and  Missouri.  The 


132  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

North  Platte  and  its  tributaries  were  neglected,  but  the  state 
fish  hatcheries  plant  several  million  trout  each  year,  and  now 
almost  every  stream  in  the  state  furnishes  sport  for  the  fish- 
erman. 

Tourists  coming  west  through  Cheyenne  and  Denver  will 
find  splendid  trout  fishing  on  the  Big  or  Little  Laramie  Rivers, 
leaving  the  railroad  at  Laramie  City.  A  little  farther  west 
the  fisherman  can  leave  the  Union  Pacific  train  at  Walcott  and 
drive  twenty-three  miles  to  Saratoga,  where  he  may  fish  in 
the  North  Platte  River,  running  through  the  town,  go  up 
stream  to  some  of  the  ranches  which  furnish  fishermen  with 
accommodations,  or  fish  down  stream,  as  he  may  prefer.  Brook 
trout  weighing  five  pounds  and  rainbow  trout  weighing  ten 
pounds  are  caught  in  the  Platte  near  Saratoga.  Many  hun- 
dreds of  rainbow  trout  weighing  from  two  to  eight  pounds 
have  been  caught  within  the  city  limits. 

Tourists  passing  through  the  northern  part  of  the  state 
over  the  Burlington  Route  will  find  excellent  fishing  near 
Sheridan,  and  those  taking  the  Cody  Route  to  the  National 
Park  will  stop  near  some  of  the  finest  trout  streams  in  the 
west. 

There  is  no  sport  like  fishing  to  soothe  the  over-wrought 
nerves  of  the  tired  and  weary  professional  or  business  man ;  the 
man  who  is  tied  to  his  desk  with  a  burden  of  care  from  one 
week's  end  to  another.  With  rod  and  creel  and  a  well-stocked 
book  of  flies  he  may  fling  earthly  cares  to  the  wind  and  enjoy 
heavenly  bliss  in  angling  for  trout.  There  is  nothing  like  it 
to  restore  health  of  brain  and  brawn.  Many  men  lose  their 
lives  by  not  regarding  the  necessity  of  outdoor  recreation. 

Picture  a  scene  on  one  of  our  streams.  The  month  of 
August  is  at  hand,  and  mosquitos  and  flies  have  ceased  to  vex. 
The  day  is  dark,  a  little  breeze  ripples  the  still  places  and  the 
big  fish  are  alert  for  food.  Over  a  steep  riffle  the  water  breaks 
and  dashes  swiftly  into  the  hole  below,  swirls,  eddies  and  runs 
slowly  off  beneath  overhanging  willows.  An  old  log  is  athwart 
the  stream  and  just  above,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  eddy,  is  a 
still  place  upon  which  the  angler  has  set  his  heart.  Full  sixty 
feet  of  line  is  necessary  to  hide  the  artist  from  his  wary  prey. 
It  is  swinging  in  air.  The  cast  is  made  and  the  line  goes  true, 
the  tail  fly  lighting  squarely  upon  the  gauged  spot.  As  swift 
as  a  flash  of  light  a  mighty  rainbow  leaps  from  his  lair,  an 
involuntary  motion  of  the  angler's  wrist  drives  the  steel  barb 
home  and  the  struggle  is  on.  He  is  high  in  air.  Note  his 
beauty  and  magnificence.  From  gill  to  tail  his  iridescent  colors 
flash  back  the  light.  But  it  is  only  a  look.  He  is  back  in  the 
water  and  away,  spinning  the  reel  for  full  seventy-five  feet  of 
line  despite  the  "drag."  Again  he  leaps  and  the  great  test  of 


STATE:  FAIR  AT  DOUGLAS.  133 

the  expert's  skill  is  here  made,  for  the  line  may  be  slacked  by 
the  sudden  stoppage  of  the  mad  race,  and  slack  line  means  loss 
of  trout.  His  rapid  movement  while  above  the  water  appears 
as  though  he  would  free  himself  by  a  terrific  shake,  but  it  is 
simply  the  movement  he  would  make  were  he  in  the  water 
below.  Now  down  again  and  back  and  forth  he  dashes  across 
the  stream;  then  with  the  speed  of  the  wind  he  rushes  full 
toward  the  fisherman,  who  must  be  expert  indeed  if  he  takes 
up  the  line  as  fast  as  he  approaches.  At  the  upper  end  of  the 
pool  he  stops,  a  few  struggles  are  made,  and  he  is  reeled  to  the 
shore  and  gently  drawn  upon  the  sandy  beach.  He  weighs  four 
pounds.  What  a  beauty !  How  often  is  the  story  repeated. 


State  Fair  at  Douglas. 

For  the  purpose  of  advancing  the  material  development  of 
Wyoming,  the  Wyoming  Industrial  Convention  was  organized 
in  1901.  This  convention  consisted  of  about  five  hundred  del- 
egates, and  its  meetings  were  held  in  different  cities.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  in  the  City  of  Laramie,  the  second  at  Chey- 
enne, the  third  at  Sheridan  and  the  fourth  at  Casper.  At  the 
Casper  meeting  it  was  decided  to  go  to  the  Legislature  with  a 
recommendation  for  a  permanent  state  fair,  and  that  body 
passed  an  act  selecting  the  town  of  Douglas  as  the  location 
and  appropriating  $10,000  toward  the  enterprise. 

Douglas  has  entered  heartily  into  the  matter  and  the  first 
state  fair  will  be  held  in  that  city  on  Tuesday,  Wednesday, 
Thursday  and  Friday,  October  3,  4,  5  and  6.  More  than  six 
thousand  dollars  will  be  offered  in  premiums  on  agricultural 
products,  live  stock  and  mineral  exhibits.  The  buildings  will 
cost  about  eight  thousand  dollars,  and  it  is  anticipated  that  the 
first  Wyoming  state  fair  will  be  well  worth  the  time  and 
money  required  in  making  a  journey  to  Douglas,  no  matter 
what  your  location  on  the  continent  may  be. 

Those  who  desire  information  in  relation  to  the  state  fair 
should  address  Hon.  James  M.  Wilson,  President,  or  Hon. 
M.  R.  Collins,  Secretary,  Douglas,  Wyo. 


Frontier  Celebration  at  Cheyenne. 

Condensed  History  of  the  Mammoth  Show. 
This  year,  September  2,  4  and  5,  Cheyenne  will  give  its 
Ninth  Annual  Frontier  Celebration,  which  is  probably  one  of 


134  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

the  most  thrilling  and  interesting  shows  that  has  ever  been 
enacted  in  any  country.  Although  it  started  in  a  small  way 
nine  years  ago,  it  has  not  only  achieved  a  national  reputation, 
but  many  come  from  the  old  world  to  witness  it  each  year. 

It  requires  the  entire  time  and  undivided  attention  of  the 
managing  board  for  several  months  to  arrange  the  many  de- 
tails for  this  big  celebration.  More  than  one  thousand  persons 
will  take  part  in  the  program  this  year.  The  best  riders  and 
ropers,  and  the  most  expert  and  skillful  cowboy  and  lady 
riders  come  from  all  over  the  world  to  compete  for  the  honor 
of  winning  the  championship  prizes  offered  on  this  occasion. 

Many  cities  have  tried  to  imitate  this  show,  but  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  there  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  it  can  be 
given  as  it  is  at  Cheyenne.  They  have  the  wild  horses  and 
cattle,  and  the  best  riders  and  ropers  here  assembled  on  the 
vast  ranges  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  of  which  Cheyenne 
is  the  central  point.  Cheyenne  is  the  only  city  that  has  the 
material  at  hand  to  give  such  a  celebration,  and  this  year 
thousands  of  people  will  come  from  all  over  the  United  States 
and  many  from  Europe  to  witness  the  unique  and  exciting 
program  of  frontier  sports. 

President  Roosevelt,  with  his  party,  made  a  longer  stay 
in  Cheyenne  than  in  any  other  city  that  he  visited,  in  order 
to  witness  a  short  program  of  frontier  sports  that  had  been 
hastily  arranged,  but  which  was  so  interesting  and  unique 
that  he  said  it  was  the  most  enjoyable  feature  of  his  entire  trip. 

When  the  idea  was  first  originated  of  giving  an  annual 
celebration  to  perpetuate  frontier  scenes  and  re-enact  the 
thrilling  experiences  of  western  life,  it  was  started  at  Chey- 
enne in  a  very  small  way,  and  it  has  met  with  an  overwhelm- 
ing success  from  the  very  start,  and  today  it  is  conceded  to 
be  by  far  the  most  popular  and  the  biggest  celebration  of  any 
kind  held  in  the  west. 

The'  cost  of  holding  the  celebration  this  year  will  exceed 
$12,000,  and  it  is  estimated  that  more  than  25,000  people  will 
attend.  Although  several  months  in  advance,  more  than 
1,000  reservations  for  seats  from  New  England  cities  and 
Boston  have  already  been  made,  and  all  the  special  trains 
carrying  members  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  to  the 
National  Encampment  at  Denver  have  arranged  to  stop  at 
least  one  day  in  Cheyenne  to  attend  this  celebration. 

The  Frontier  Association  has  purchased  attractive  and 
well  equipped  fair  grounds  adjoining  the  city  and  has  made 
a  great  many  improvements  in  the  past  few  years,  and  will 
greatly  increase  the  seating  capacity  of  its  grandstand  this 
year. 


WYOMING  AT  THE:  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE  EXPOSITION.     135 

The  celebration  is  a  public  enterprise  and  one  of  incal- 
culable benefit  to  the  citizens  of  Cheyenne.  It  has  always  re- 
ceived the  hearty  support  of  all  Wyoming  citizens  and  it  is 
an  event  each  year  that  they  take  great  pride  in  participat- 
ing in. 

Applications  have  already  been  made  from  all  over  the 
western  country,  from  the  Canadian  border  to  Texas,  for 
entries  by  the  cowboys  and  others  who  make  up  the  perform- 
ers on  this  occasion,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  there  will  be 
a  much  greater  number  of  competitors  to  contest  for  the 
prizes  this  year  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  show. 
It  is  also  expected  that  a  band  of  over  three  hundred  Indians 
will  be  brought  to  Cheyenne  from  the  reservation  to  join 
in  the  festivities. 


Wyoming  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition. 

Wyoming  does  not  ask  the  people  of  the  earth  to  take  her 
word  for  it,  but  is  willing  to  show  them — even  in  Missouri. 
When  that  great  exposition  known  as  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  was  held  in  the  City  of  St.  Louis,  an  able  com- 
mission represented  Wyoming  there,  and  they  exhibited  pro- 
ducts of  her  soil  and  mines,  with  the  result  that  many  grand 
prizes,  gold  and  silver  medals,  etc.,  were  brought  back  to 
cheer  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  to  make  the  citizens  of 
other  states  envious.  Following  is  a  partial  list  of  the  awards 
made  to  Wyoming  exhibitors: 

Wyoming  Experiment  Station,  Laramie — Collective  ex- 
hibit of  grains,  grasses  and  forage  plants,  grand  prize. 

John  McFarlane — Brome  grass,  grand  prize. 

J.  F.  Lewis — Collective  exhibit  of  native  grasses,  forage 
plants  and  grain  in  straw,  grand  prize. 

Wyoming  State  Commission — Collective  exhibit  of  native 
grasses,  cultivated  forage  plants  and  grains,  grand  prize. 

E.  W.  Allred— Wheat,  gold  medal. 

E.  J.  Bell— Barley,  gold  medal. 

Charles  Buell— Oats,  gold  medal. 

J.  M.  Carey  &  Bro. — Oats,  rye,  spelts  and  alfalfa,  gold 
medal. 

George  S.  Eyre — Oats,  gold  medal. 

J.  A.  Fischer — Beans,  gold  medal. 

Charles  Ferri — Wheat  in  straw,  gold  medal. 


136  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Charles  Griffin — Oats,  gold  medal. 

Charles  Hyer — Wheat  in  straw,  gold  medal. 

Wilson  McBride — Oats,  gold  medal. 

Moncrief  Bros. — Wheat,  gold  medal. 

O.  A.  Mortenson — Oats,  gold  medal. 

Reick  Bros. — Wheat,  gold  medal. 

J.  G.  Spencer — Alfalfa  seed,  gold  medal. 

C.  J.  Simmons — Oats  and  wheat  in  straw,  gold  medal. 

Mrs.  C.  J.  Simmons — Collection  of  native  and  cultivated 
grasses,  gold  medal. 

Wyoming  Development  Company — Oats,  alfalfa  seed  and 
wheat,  gold  medal. 

Ed  Young — Grains,  grasses  and  forage  plants,  gold  medal. 

John  Zing — Beans,  gold  medal. 

Wheatland  Roller  Mill  Company — Flour,  gold  medal. 

C.  W.  Gettys— Wool,  gold  medal. 

F.  S.  King  Bros. — High  grade  wool,  gold  medal. 

Platte  Valley  Sheep  Company — Range  wool,  gold  medal. 

Collective  exhibit  of  Wyoming  woods  and  table  manu- 
factured from  them  by  Mr.  John  H.  Gordon,  gold  medal. 

State  of  Wyoming  Collaborator,  C.  B.  Richardson,  gold 
medal. 

Wyoming  Geological  Survey,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. — Coals 
and  iron  ores,  gold  medal. 

Wyoming  World's  Fair  Commission — Crude  and  refined 
petroleum,  gold  medal. 

State  Geologist  of  Wyoming — Mineral  paint  ores,  gold 
medal. 

Wyoming  Railway  and  Iron  Company — Iron  and  steel 
products,  gold  medal. 

Battle  Lake  Tunnel  Site  Mining  Company — Copper  ores, 
gold  medal. 

C.  A.  Guernsey — Mineral  paint  and  iron  ore,  gold  medal. 

International  Onyx  and  Marble  Company — Onyx,  gold 
medal. 

Laramie  Mining  Exchange,  Albert  Richards — Ore  collec- 
tion, gold  medal. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  a  large  number  of  silver  and 
bronze  medals  were  awarded  to  Wyoming  exhibitors. 


Railroads  and  Stage  Routes. 

Tourists  passing  through  Wyoming  on  the  transconti- 
nental railroads  see  little  of  the  agricultural  portion  of  the 
state,  as  the  railroads  for  the  most  part  run  on  the  divides 


RAILROADS  AND  STAGE  ROUTES.  137 

between  water  courses,  while  the  farming  settlements  and 
irrigated  lands,  as  in  all  semi-arid  regions,  are  in  the  valleys 
of  the  rivers  and  creeks.  The  Union  Pacific  runs  across  the 
southern  portion  of  the  state  for  468.97  miles,  connecting  at 
Green  River  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line  for  Oregon  and  the 
Northern  Pacific  country.  The  Colorado  and  Southern  has 
a  line  running  from  Cheyenne  to  Orin  Junction,  153.68  miles, 
connecting  with  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  branch,  run- 
ning from  Crawford  to  Casper,  with  a  trackage  of  130.43 
miles  in  Wyoming.  The  Burlington  Route  has  four  branch 
lines  entering  the  state — twenty-nine  miles  of  the  Cheyenne 
and  Holdredge  line;  236.59  miles  of  the  main  line  from  Lin- 
coln, Neb.,  to  Billings,  Mont.,  running  through  Newcastle  and 
Sheridan,  connecting  at  Toluca,  Mont.,  with  the  branch  line 
to  Cody,  Wyo.,  a  distance  of  129  miles  (44.61  in  Wyoming), 
and  by  which  all  points  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin  may  be 
reached;  and  41.32  miles  of  the  line  from  Alliance  up  the 
Platte  River  to  Guernsey,  Wyo.  The  Colorado  and  Wyo- 
ming ore  road,  14.55  miles  long,  connects  the  Colorado 
Southern  and  Burlington  roads  with  the  iron  mines  at  Sunrise. 
An  extension  of  the  Northwestern  system  from  Casper  to  the 
Indian  Reservation  and  north  to  Thermopolis  Hot  Springs, 
and  a  branch  of  the  Burlington  Route  from  Garland  to  Ther- 
mopolis and  to  the  reservation  are  promised  by  June  I,  1906. 

There  is  a  coal  road,  6.6  miles  of  which  is  in  Wyoming, 
from  Belle  Fourche  to  Aladdin,  and  another  nineteen  miles 
long  from  Diamondville  to  Spring  Valley. 

Stage  lines  cover  the  state  thoroughly.  Daily  stages 
running  from  Laramie  to  North  Park,  Colorado,  carry  mail 
and  passengers  to  points  on  the  Big  Laramie  River.  To  reach 
the  Encampment  country  the  best  route  is  from  Walcott 
station,  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  where  all  trains  stop 
regularly.  From  this  point  stages  run  to  Encampment  via 
Saratoga,  leaving  Walcott  regularly  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  daily.  Extra  stages  in  afternoon.  These  stages  are 
four  and  six-horse  Concord  coaches,  in  charge  of  experienced 
drivers,  and  run  through  on  schedule  time.  The  distance  is 
twenty-three  miles  to  Saratoga  and  forty-three  to  Encamp- 
ment from  Walcott. 

From  Encampment  daily  stages  leave  for  Battle,  twelve 
miles ;  Rambler,  fourteen  miles,  and  Dillon,  nineteen  miles ; 
and  connections  are  made  for  camps  south  or  near  the  state 
line  and  Pearl,  Colorado,  about  thirty  miles. 

Livery  teams  and  saddle  horses  may  be  had  here  for 
different  parts  of  the  district  not  reached  by  stage.  A  line 
runs  daily  from  Laramie,  the  county  seat  of  Albany  County, 
to  Holmes,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles,  via  Centennial. 


138  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

For  Dillon  and  Rudefeha,  where  the  Ferris-Haggarty 
mine  is  located,  connections  by  team  may  also  be  made  from 
Rawlins,  the  county  seat  of  Carbon  County,  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad,  a  distance  of  fifty-two  miles,  over  a  good  road 
recently  opened  up  for  travel. 

From  Saratoga  the  different  points  in  the  Elk  Mountain 
vicinity  may  be  reached  by  team,  and  also  a  number  of  the 
camps  on  Spring  Creek  and  Jack  Creek. 

Freight  is  brought  in  mainly  over  the  Walcott-Saratoga- 
Encampment  road  and  distributed  to  the  various  camps 
throughout  the  district. 

A  daily  stage  and  a  mail  route  runs  from  Rawlins,  on  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad,  to  Lander,  135  miles,  with  connections 
at  Meyersville,  ninety  miles  out  of  Rawlins,  for  Lewiston, 
Atlantic  and  South  Pass  City,  and  another  mail  line  from 
Casper  to  Lander  and  Thermopolis. 

Lander,  the  county  seat  of  Fremont  County,  may  also  be 
reached  by  team,  and  stage  connections  there  made  for  Ther- 
mopolis and  Cody,  on  the  Burlington  and  Missouri  railroad, 
and  to  Casper,  150  miles,  on  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
railroad. 

The  best  method  of  reaching  the  South  Pass  district  for 
a  short  stay  is  by  team  from  Rock  Springs,  as  the  eighty 
miles  to  South  Pass  may  be  covered  in  two  days  without 
material  inconvenience,  and  good  accommodations  had  at 
Washington's  ranch,  a  half-way  station. 

South  Pass  has  a  good  hotel,  and  this  may  readily  be 
made  headquarters  while  the  district  is  being  investigated. 

The  most  direct  way  into  the  Sunlight  country  is  from 
Cody,  by  way  of  Hart  Mountain,  Pat  O'Hara  Creek,  Dead 
Indian  Hill  and  Sunlight  Creek,  the  road  having  been  built 
up  the  latter  creek  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  Galena  Creek.  From 
this  road  trails  for  pack  animals  lead  up  to  Sulphur  Creek, 
up  Galena  Creek,  and  thence  over  and  around  the  mountain  to 
the  mines  in  Hughes  Basin  and  Silver  Tip  Basin,  on  the  west 
side  of  Stinking  Water  Peak.  . 

The  new  road  just  constructed  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment from  Cody  to  the  National  Park,  and  which,  by  the 
way,  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  picturesque  roads  in  the 
west,  runs  within  twenty  miles  of  Silver  Tip  Basin,  with  a 
good  pack  trail  from  the  mouth  of  Jones  Creek  to  the  Basin. 
Two  hotels  have  been  constructed  on  this  route  and  daily 
stages  run  over  the  new  scenic  road. 

Other  lines  leave  Rawlins  for  Dixon  and  Baggs  and  the 
Snake  River,  Colorado,  country ;  from  Casper  to  Central 
Wyoming;  Clearmont  to  Buffalo;  Moorcroft  to  Sundance, 


WYOMING  WANTS.  139 

connecting  with  mail  routes;  -from  Sheridan  to  interior  points 
in  Sheridan  and  Johnson  Counties ;  from  Garland  to  Byron, 
Cowley  and  Lovell ;  from  Garland  to  Basin,  from  thence  to 
interior  towns ;  from  Cody  to  Meeteetse  and  Thermopolis ; 
branches  from  Meeteetse  to  interior  postoffices;  Basin  to 
Thermopolis,  via  Welling  and  Worland.  Stage  lines  run 
from  Opal  to  Big  Piney,  connecting  with  interior  points. 


Wyoming  Wants. 


In  reading  the  history  of  this  northwest,  viz. :  De  la 
Verendrye's  Expedition  in  1742;  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition, 
under  authority  of  Congress,  in  1804;  Washington  Irving's 
Astoria,  1811 ;  Captain  Bonneville's  Expedition,  1832,  and  Cou- 
tant's  History  of  Wyoming — in  all  of  which  the  territory 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  Wyoming  was  the  center  of  the 
scene  of  action — one  is  astonished  at  the  terrible  hardships,  pri- 
vations and  perils  undergone  by  brave  men  for  the  com- 
paratively little  wealth  to  be  realized  from  peltries.  Today, 
surrounded  by  the  best  civilization  and  without  hardship, 
privation  or  peril,  an  unlimited  and  permanent  wealth  awaits 
the  investor  and  worker  in  the  following  needs  of  Wyoming: 

The  Burlington  railroad  to  extend  from  Guernsey  west 
across  the  center  of  the  state. 

A  north  and  south  railway  through  the  center  of  the  state, 

A  number  of  short  railway  spurs  or  feeders  to  the  present 
railway  lines,  for  the  development  of  mineral,  oil  and  agricul- 
tural resources — which  must  otherwise  remain  undeveloped 
or  unprofitable. 

With  the  accomplishment  of  the  above,  the  following 
wants  would  be  speedily  fulfilled : 

Iron  foundries  and  rolling  mills.  There  are  mountains  of 
the  finest  iron  ore  in  the  world. 

More  coal  mines.     Wyoming  is  all  underlaid  with  coal. 

More  capital  invested  in  irrigation  systems — ditches  and 
reservoirs. 

More  practical  irrigators. 

More  farmers  who  are  not  afraid  to  work. 

More  practical  prospectors. 

More  practical  mining  men  as  investors,  operators  and 
workers. 

More  practical  oil  investors  and  well  drillers. 

Beet  sugar  factories. 

Money  to  loan  at  6  and  8  per  cent  on  A  No.  I  securities. 


140  THE:  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

A  local  trust  company. 

A  local  fire  and  life  insurance  company. 

Every  city  in  the  state  needs  a  truck  garden.  There  are 
a  hundred  opportunities  in  this  line  to  make  a  competency. 

Five  hundred  chicken  ranches.  Eggs  sell  for  25  to  50 
cents  per  dozen.  Chickens  sell  for  50  to  80  cents  each. 

Woolen  mills — great  opportunity. 

Flour  mills. 

Glass  factory. 

All  "knockers"  rounded  up  and  colonized  on  a  Pacific 
island. 

Wyoming  only  needs  thorough  investigation  by  capital 
and  workers  to  become  the  home  of  prosperity. 


Public   Buildings. 


The  Capitol  building  at  Cheyenne  is  classical  in  style  and 
oears  a  resemblance  to  the  capitol  at  Washington. 

The  Wyoming  University,  located  at  Laramie,  is  de- 
scribed under  the  article  on  Education. 

The  state  maintains  fish  hatcheries  at  Laramie,  Saratoga, 
Sundance,  Sheridan  and  Lander,  which  hatcheries  each  year 
stock  the  mountain  streams  with  trout  of  various  varieties. 

The  Penitentiary  building  is  located  at  Rawlins. 

The  State  Deaf,  Dumb  and  Blind  Asylum  is  located  at 
Cheyenne,  but  is  not  in  use  on  account  of  the  small  number 
of  such  unfortunates. 

The  Insane  Asylum  is  located  at  Evanston. 

Two  General  Hospitals  are  maintained  by  the  state,  one 
at  Rock  Springs  for  the  southern  section  of  the  state,  and  one 
at  Sheridan  for  the  northern  section  of  the  state. 

The  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  is  located  at  Buffalo, 
where  the  state  owns  1,270  acres  of  rich  agricultural  land  and 
has  buildings  worth  $100,000. 

Wyoming  also  possesses  a  Poor  Farm,  situated  at  Lan- 
der, but,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  state  has  no  poor,  the  farm 
has  been  rented  and  the  proceeds  applied  to  its  improvement, 
so  far  as  necessary,  and  the  remainder  allowed  to  accumulate 
as  a  fund  for  the  future,  should  it  ever  be  needed. 


BANKS  AND  INTEREST. 


141 


Banks  and  Interest. 


In  all  the  larger  towns  are  located  national  banks,  while 
in  the  smaller  towns  are  found  banks  incorporated  under  state 
law.  The  legal  rate  of  interest  is  eight  per  cent,  but  any  rate 
agreed  upon,  not  exceeding  twelve  per  cent,  is  valid.  The 
usual  bank  rate  on  time  deposits  is  four  per  cent;  the  bank 
loan  rate  is  from  ten  to  twelve  per  cent. 

Following  is  a  summary  of  the  conditions  of  the  banks 
in  Wyoming  at  the  dates  indicated: 


January  22 
1904 

March  28 
1904 

June  9 
1904 

September  6 
1904 

$8,181,840.46 
1,929,365.67 
1,242,198.11 

$11,353,404.24 

November  10 
1904 

National  Banks.  . 
State  Banks  .    .    . 
Private  Banks  .    . 

Total  .... 

$7,580.240.45 
1,703,  728.39 
1,249,389.04 

$7,472.841.48 
1,768,681.87 
1,183,881.85 

$7,919,617.60 
1,754,878.14 
1,202,896.81 

$9,126,851.69 
2,104,958.69 
1,417,159.73 

$10,533,357.88 

$10,425,405.20 

$10,877,392.55 

$12,648,970.11 

Number  of  banks :    National,  19;   state,  15;   private,  8. 


Taxes  and  Public   Indebtedness. 


The  wise  restrictions  in  the  State  Constitution  are  a  sure 
guarantee  that  in  Wyoming  taxation  will  never  be  excessive, 
or  the  public  debt  burdensome.  It  is  there  provided  that  for 
state  revenue  there  shall  not  be  levied  to  exceed  four  mills  on 
the  dollar  of  the  assessed  value  of  property  for  all  state  pur- 
poses, except  for  the  payment  of  the  public  debt,  with  interest, 
and  the  support  of  state  charitable  and  educational  institu- 
tions, and  not  to  exceed  twelve  mills  on  the  dollar  for  all 
county  purposes,  excepting  the  county  debt.  Special  school 
taxes  may  be  authorized  by  the  qualified  voters  of  the  several 
districts. 

The  state's  original  bonded  indebtedness  was  $320,000. 
This  is  being  reduced  as  rapidly  as  possible  under  the  con- 
ditions of  the  bonds,  $80,000  having  been  paid  off  during  the 
last  four  years,  leaving  now  a  debt  of  only  $240,000.  Each 
county  in  the  state  is  also  paying  off  its  bonded  indebtedness. 

Incorporated  cities  and  towns  are  limited  to  eight  mills 
on  the  dollar,  excepting  for  the  payment  of  their  public  debt. 
The  state  debt  is  limited  to  one  per  cent  of  the  assessed  val- 
uation, while  two  per  cent  is  the  limit  on  counties,  cities  and 
towns. 


142  THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Statement  Showing  the  Valuation  of  the  Several  Counties  of 
the  State  for  the  Year  1904 — One-fourth  actual  Value. 

Albany  County $4,360,099.86 

Big  Horn 3,774,424.90 

Carbon 5>569>°94-33 

Converse 2,540,232.45 

Crook 2,336,929.28 

Fremont 2,089,585.00 

Johnson 2,092,425.98 

Laramie 6,782,438.32 

Natrona 2,035,491.92 

Sheridan 3,433,524.15 

Sweetwater 4,072,054.91 

Uinta 5,747,805.31 

Weston 1,862,842.34 


Total $46,696,948.75 

Total  Property  Assessed  in  1904  at  One-fourth  Actual  Value. 

Railroad  and  car  companies $  7,714,668.26 

Telegraph  and  telephone  lines 3II»375-45 

Lands  and  improvements 11,078,694.55 

Town  lots  and  improvements 7,072,966.00 

Horses 1,986,085.00 

Cattle 7,908,098.00 

Mules  and  asses 35,672.60 

Sheep  and  goats.  . 5,211,839.65 

Swine 19,475.00 

Dogs 1,101.00 

Clocks,  watches,  jewelry,  gold  and  silver  plate.  . .  24,591.00 

Musical  instruments 91,683.00 

Capital  employed  in  manufactures  and  mdse.  .  .  .  2,477,575.02 

Carriages  and  wagons 439,819.40 

Moneys  and  credits  after  deducting  debts 450,127.00 

Stocks  in  corporations 206,768.00 

Farming  utensils  and  tools 366,293.50 

Private  libraries ; 23,315.00 

Household  furniture  ($100  exempt) 112,436.57 

Other  property  not  enumerated 1,164,364.75 

Total $46,696,948.75 


PUBLIC  LIBRARIES.  143 


Public  Libraries. 


Wyoming  early  made  provision  for  the  purchase  and  ex- 
change of  valuable  law  books  and  reports.  The  library  is  in 
charge  of  the  State  Librarian,  under  the  direction  of  the  Jus- 
tices of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  is  open  during  the  business 
hours  observed  by  the  public  officers  at  the  capitol.  The  law 
library  contains  nearly  8,000  volumes,  exclusive  of  the  public 
laws  and  documents  of  the  state. 

Of  the  260,000  acres  of  land  granted  by  the  General  Gov- 
ernment for  state  charitable,  educational,  penal  and  reforma- 
tory institutions,  in  addition  to  special  land  grants  for  such 
purposes,  15,000  acres  were  set  aside  in  1897  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  law  library.  At  the  present  time  these  lands  yield 
an  annual  income  from  rents  of  about  $600,  which  is  used  in 
the  purchase  of  new  books. 

An  act  to  increase  the  State  Library  by  adding  a  miscel- 
laneous collection  of  standard  books  was  also  passed  by  the 
Legislature  in  1897,  and  15,000  acres  of  land  set  aside,  the 
income  from  which  is  used  in  the  maintenance  of  a  miscella- 
neous library.  The  nucleus  of  such  a  library,  consisting  of 
three  thousand  volumes,  has  been  purchased  and  is  now  avail- 
able to  the  citizens  of  the  state.  Provision  has  also  been  made 
by  the  state  for  the  establishment  of  county  libraries,  and  in 
many  counties  such  libraries  are  maintained  for  the  benefit  of 
the  residents.  LTnder  the  auspices  of  the  Wyoming  Historical 
Society  have  been  collected  many  early  books,  papers  and 
documents  bearing  upon  the  early  history  of  Wyoming,  which 
are  open  to  inspection  at  the  State  Library.  The  collection 
of  Wyoming  minerals  shown  at  the  World's  Fair,  with  the 
medals  and  diplomas  awarded,  are  also  upon  exhibition  at  the 
capitol. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  Carnegie  libraries  have  been 
constructed  or  are  in  course  of  construction  at  Cheyenne,  Lar- 
amie,  Evanston  and  Sheridan,  and  there  are  numerous  circu- 
lating libraries  kept  up  by  public  subscription. 


144 


THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 


Elevation  of  Cities  and  Mountains. 


CITY  ELEVATION  IN  FEET  CITY  ELEVATION  IN  FEET 

Alcova 6,000  Hanna 6,788 

Atlantic  City 7,850  Hyattville 4,550 

Buffalo 4,600  Jackson  Hole 6,820 

Basin 3,7oo  Jackson  Lake 0,800 

Battle 9,866  Kirwin 9,5oo 

Cambria 5,ioo  Lander 5,372 

Casper  . 5,101  Laramie 7,153 

Carbon 6,821  Lovell 3,700 

Cheyenne 6,050  Lusk  .  . 5,007 

Cheyenne  (Capitol)  6,101  Medicine  Bow 6,562 

Cody 4,900  Meeteetse 5,ooo 

Corbett 4,659  Newcastle 4,319 

Douglas 4,816  Otto .4,011 

Embar 5,900  Rambler 9,5OO 

Encampment 7,322  Rawlins 6,744 

Evanston 6,759  Rock  Springs 6,260 

Fort  Laramie 4,270  Rock  Creek 6,704 

Fort  Steele 6,505  Sherman 8,247 

Fort  Washakie 5,462  Sheridan 3,738 

Fort  Yellowstone 6,370  Saratoga 7,000 

Four  Bear 6,500  Sundance ; .4,750 

Garland 4,183  Thermopolis 4,35O 

Glendo 4,7*6  Ten  Sleep 4,513 

Glenrock 4,900  Tie  Siding 7,890 

Green  River 6,077  Wheatland 4,700 

NAME.  MOUNTAIN  RANGE  ELEVATION  IN  FEET 

Big  Horn , 8,000  to  12,000 

Bradley  Peak Seminoe 9,5oo 

Bridger  Peak . 1 1,400 

Chimney  Rock Wind  River 1 1,853 

Cloud  Peak Big  Horn 12,500 

Mt.  Doane Yellowstone 10,118 

Elk  Mountain Medicine  Bow n,5ii 

Fremont's  Peak Wind  River 13,790 

Grand  Encampment Park 1 1,003 

Grand  Teton Teton ... 13,800 

Index  Peak Yellowstone n,74O 

Laramie  Peak Laramie 11,000 

Laramie  Range 7,000  to     9,000 

Medicine  Peak Park 12,231 

Medicine  Bow  Range 8,000  to  12,000 

Mt.  Moran Teton 12,000 

Park  Range,  in  Wyoming 11,500 

Phlox  Mountain Owl  Creek 9,136 

Pilot  Knob Yellowstone n,977 

Quien  Hornet Uintah 9,300 

Sailor  Mountain 10,046 

Seminoe  Mountains   (highest) 10,500 

Washakie  Needles 12,252 

Mt.  Washburn 10,388 

Yount's  Peak Yellowstone 12,250 


STATE  OFFICERS  AND  BOARDS  APPOINTED  BY  GOVERNOR 
Name.  Office.  Term  Expires.    Postofficc. 

William  E.  Mullen...  .Attorney  General April  i,  1907. .  .Cheyenne 

Clarence  T.  Johnston. State  Engineer Feb.  18,  1909.  .  .Cheyenne 

Prince  A.  Gatchell. .  .Adjutant  General January,  1907..  .Cheyenne 

Noah  Young Inspector  Coal  Mines, 

District  No.  I Feb.  20,  1907. .  .Cheyenne 

A.  E.  Bradbury .Inspector  Coal  Mines, 

District  No.  2 Feb.  20,  1907...  .Evanston 

D.  C.  Nowlin State  Game  Warden Feb.  20,  1907 Lander 

H.  B.  Henderson State  Examiner Feb.  21,  1907.  .  .Cheyenne 

Mrs.  Clara  Bond State  Librarian April  i,  1907.  .  .Cheyenne 

Henry  C.  Beeler State  Geologist Feb.  21,  1909. .  .Cheyenne 

G.  T.  Seabury State  Veterinarian Feb.  18,  1907. .  .Cheyenne 

Samuel  H.  Campbell.  .Supt.  Fish  Hatcheries, 

District  No.  i Feb.  18,  1907. . .  .Laramie 

C.  W.  Morgareidge...Supt.  Fish  Hatcheries, 

District  No.  2 Feb.  18,  1907...  .Sheridan 

Ed  W.  Burke Food  and  Oil  Commis'r.  .March  31,  1907. Evanston 

BOARD   OF   LIVE   STOCK   COMMISSIONERS. 

Ora  Haley Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 Laramie 

Alexander  Bowie Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 Chugwater 

A.  A.  Spaugh Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 : .  .Manville 

Thomas  Durbin Secretary Cheyenne 

STATE  BOARD  OF  SHEEP  COMMISSIONERS. 

Jacob  Delf elder Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 Lander 

Timothy  Kinney Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 Rock  Springs 

J.  M.  Wilson Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1907 Douglas 

George  S.  Walker Secretary Cheyenne 

COMMISSIONERS    OF   PHARMACY. 

W.  H.  Edelman Term  expires  March  31,  1907 Sheridan 

Fred  W.  Roedel Term  expires  Feb.  16,  1909 Cheyenne 

Frank  H.  Eggleston Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1909 Laramie 

STATE   BOARD  OF    HEALTH. 

Amos  W.  Barber,  Sec.  .  .Term  expires  Feb.  18,  1909 Cheyenne 

J.  L.  Wicks .Term  expires  Feb.  16,  1909 Evanston 

F.  Horton Term  expires  Feb.  16,  1907 Newcastle 

STATE   BOARD   OF    MEDICAL   EXAMINERS. 

E.  P.  Rohrbaugh,  Pres.  .  .Term  expires  Feb.  17,  1907 Casper 

S.  B.  Miller,  Secretary.  .  .Term  expires  Feb.  17,  1907 Laramie 

Oliver  Chambers Term  expires  Feb.  17,  1907 Rock  Springs 

BOARD  OF  CONTROL. 

(Superintendents'  terms  expire  February  18,  1907.) 

Clarence  T.  Johnston.  . .  .(State  Engineer,  ex-officio) Cheyenne 

Pitt  Covert Supt.  Water  Division  No.  i Cheyenne 

Frank  H.  Stotts Supt.  Water  Division  No.  2 Sheridan 

Lou  Blakesley Supt.  Water  Division  No.  3 Otto 

Walter  B.  Dunton Supt.  Water  Division  No.  4 Rock  Springs 

H.  L.  Pascall,  Secretary 

LEWIS    AND    CLARK    EXPOSITION    COMMISSIONERS. 

B.  B.  Brooks,  President  (ex-officio) Cheyenne 

W.  C.  Deming,   Secretary ; Cheyenne 

C.  B.  Richardson,  Commissioner  in  Chief Cheyenne 

J.   L.    Baird Newcastle 

George    E.    Pexton Evanston 

B.  C.  Buffum Laramie 

BOARD  OF  DENTAL  EXAMINERS. 

Dr.  William  Frackelton   ( four  years ) Sheridan 

Dr.  Peter  Appel   (four  years) Cheyenne 

Dr.  W.  C.  Cunnington  (two  years) Evanston 


